Fate-Lumos
by MudkipOfDespair
Summary: [Has been rebooted as Fate-Lumos Re:. First four chapters are still here for you to read, should you wish.]
1. Unneeded Call

**Unknown**

**2 Months Ago**

The girl rose from his bed with a loud yawn. Sun peeked in through the windows of the room, signifying the start of a brand new day. Groaning, she made her way towards the closet to get dressed when suddenly, a fierce pain erupted forth from her right hand. The girl screamed as her hand glowed crimson, the pain growing stronger with each passing moment. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the glow faded, as did the burning sensation that came with it. Panting heavily, the girl stared at the back of her hand. Where previously there had been normal skin, now a dark red blotch was present. The girl's eyes widened. Surely, this was a mistake. What she was seeing, it couldn't be real. But there it was, right before her eyes. The girl collapsed back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. She had no choice. She had to accept this fate.

**-3 Days Later-**

**Clock Tower, London**

**March 16, 1999**

Tatsuya Horibe was many things.

He was a mage, for one. He wasn't the best by any means, but he certainly wasn't the worst. And when you can do things "normal" people can't, being in the middle of the pack isn't as big of a deal as it could be. For another, he was a student at the Clock Tower branch of the Mage's Association. This again, was something he could not complain about. Given the high monetary requirements and needed influence to learn there, the fact that he had a chance to attend should be extraordinary in its own right, regardless of his standing in his class.

He also had the benefit of being fairly normal looking. While in the same uniform as every other student; a white dress shirt and blue tie underneath a red sweater and black cloak, Tatsuya's black hair and dark brown eyes helped him slip easily into the background. The only part of him that stood out was that annoying strand of hair at the back that refused to stay put, no matter how he brushed it.

But now Tatsuya was two more things. He was a Master, one chosen by the Holy Grail to fight in a battle for his life, and his wish. However, he was now also a pawn.

His Command Seals had begun to manifest just three days ago. They appeared as a dark red bruise on the back of his right hand, searing his body with pain as they took their place. When he reported this to his instructors, he was ushered back to his dormitory and told to await a summons from the Department of Summoning and to not leave the room unless absolutely necessary. While he was brought food, he otherwise was kept in the room. Now, three and a half days later, he had been called to the office of Rocco Belfaban, the elderly man in charge of the Department of Summoning.

Tatsuya paused briefly as he extended his hand to knock on the door to the office. The red mark- actually, it was far more like a red blob- was still present on his hand. An unfamiliar piece on what was supposed to be the most familiar part of the body.

_They say that being able to remember something incredibly well is knowing it like the back of your hand, _Tatsuya thought. _But now, I'm not sure that I know the back of my hand like the back of my hand. _Suppressing a light chuckle at the ridiculousness of the saying and his thoughts, the boy finally knocked.

"You may enter," came an elderly voice from within. Opening the door, Tatsuya stepped into the office. If you ignored the shelves and their contents, the office was fairly normal. A fancy carpet covered the floor, all the way to the large desk that sood in front of the window at the back of the room. A small table and two sofas were also present in the center of the room, likely for guests to sit on as they talked with Rocco Belfaban.

However, the shelves on both sides were jam packed with all sorts of strange objects and papers. Over-stuffed binders, jars of eggs, books as thick as a table, and containers containing samples of any number of dangerous creatures all took a spot in the massive wooden structures that lined the walls.

Sitting at the desk, facing Tatsuya, was the man himself. Rocco Belfaban, head of the Department of Summoning. Face old and wrinkled, eyes sunken and dark behind the round glasses he worse, Belfaban almost looked like a living corpse. "Please, have a seat," the man said, gesturing to the sofas. Tatsuya sat down, expecting Belfaban to begin talking to him. However, the department head simply sat and stared at Tatsuya, as if he was waiting for the young man to say something.

"Uh, what is it, sir?" Tatsuya asked hesitantly, scratching quickly at his nose. Belfaban sighed, resting his chin on his hands. "When I heard Command Seals had manifested on one of our students, I did not expect it to be you, Mr. Horibe."

Tatsuya looked down at his feet. "I.. I'm sorry, sir." Belfaban shook his head. "No, do not apologize. Rather, I should be the one apologizing to you." The man wheeled around in his chair, sighing again as he gazed out the window. "I'm sure you've reasoned this already, but the Director wishes for you to win this Holy Grail for the Clock Tower, calling in your family's debt to this institution. To the Director and the rest of the higher-ups, I doubt you are little more than a disposable pawn."

Tatsuya's gaze remained at the floor as his thoughts raced. _I knew this was coming, but… Do I really have no choice here? Either I win the Grail and give it to the Clock Tower, or I lose and die. _The boy slapped himself lightly on the head. He couldn't think about that now. Still, he had a question that needed answering. "Sir, if I may, didn't the Holy Grail War system collapse, 55 years ago? After the Third Holy Grail War of Fuyuki, when the Greater Grail disappeared?"

Belfaban wheeled his chair around to face Tatsuya once more. "While it is true that the Greater Grail did go missing after the Third Grail War, it did not mean the end of the Holy Grail War system. There have been numerous pseudo-Grail Wars, too many to count, but never over an actual Holy Grail. But, in the years since, a total of three wars have been fought over Lesser Grails, all in differing locations. These "Lesser Wars", as they have come to be known, were kept secret from a large portion of the magical world, with only a select few knowing of them. Each time a Lesser Grail has appeared, the Clock Tower has sent a representative to participate, but each time they have failed to return with the Grail. In fact, Lord El-Melloi II himself was one of the participants in the previous Lesser War, five years ago, in a not so different situation than you find yourself in now, Mr. Horibe. It was only due to a good piece of luck that he managed to survive."

"Only five years ago?" Tatsuya questioned, looking up at the old man. "If I understood my studies on this topic correctly, isn't the normal gap between Grail Wars 30 to 60 years? If that's true, how have four Grails appeared in just 55 years?"

Belfaban shook his head. "While that pattern held true for the fights for the Greater Grail, the Lesser Grails have been much harder to predict. Like I said, each of them have appeared in a completely different location, very suddenly as well. This lack of the normal preparation time is what led to the Clock Tower sending mages like you after the Grail, instead of someone more experienced. Additionally, the unpredictability of these Lesser Wars has put two of the Three Founding Families of Fuyuki, the Matous and the Tohsakas, into a situation where they cannot participate in these Wars due to a lack of an heir. Only the Einzberns, by way of their homunculus Masters, have been able to participate in all three of the Lesser Wars."

Tatsuya thought for a moment. "So the war I'm going to be fighting in will mostly consist of independent mages?" Belfaban nodded. "That should be the case, yes."

"Five mages who have little to no idea what they're getting themselves into, eh?" Tatsuya tried his best to keep the bitterness from his voice. "And my job is to kill all of them, along with their Servants."

"You must kill their Servants, yes. But not necessarily the Masters as well," Belfaban corrected. Tatsuya gave a mirthless chuckle. "I doubt that's going to make me feel any better," he responded.

Belfaban let out a long and heavy sigh. "Mr. Horibe, it gives me no pleasure in having to be the one to inform you of these developments. Unfortunately, you were chosen by the Grail. As such, you are being made to compete."

"Forgive me sir, but doesn't the Grail War system allow for a Master to give their Command Seals, and their rights as a Master, to another?"

"Usually, yes, but I was informed that the Director will treat you giving up your Command Seals as a failure to return with the Grail," Belfaban answered flatly, his expression dark and unreadable.

Tatsuya frowned, the storm in his head exploding into a full-fledged hurricane of thoughts and emotions. "Um… why do you think that is, sir?"

"If I had to reason a guess, perhaps the Director believes that you can only win the Grail if chosen by it. After all, they've sent their best mages to participate five times already. Not once have they returned successful."

The black-haired boy fell quiet for several minutes. "How much longer before I need to leave for Paris?" Tatsuya finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Your flight, which was already booked by request of the Director, is slated to leave in two days," Belfaban answered. "I imagine you want to use this time to prepare?"

Tatsuya nodded, standing up. "If you'll excuse me, sir," he said, turning to leave the room. "One moment, Mr. Horibe," Belfabn called, before Tatsuya could leave. "I assume you've deduced this on your own, but you will be provided with a catalyst when the time comes to summon your Servant. That is all."

Nodding again, Tatsuya left the room, closing the door behind him. He wanted to collapse to the floor, right there and then, but he somehow managed to drag himself back to his dormitory room. After fumbling with his room key for far longer than he normally did, he made his way inside. Paying no attention to anything else in the room for the moment, the black-haired boy collapsed face-first into his bed. He so desperately wanted to curl into the covers and stay there, but he knew that he couldn't. Not yet, at least. Still, a little nap couldn't hurt, right? Tatsuya's eyes slid closed slowly, dragging him slowly and surely into a badly needed rest.

"Hey, are you really gonna sleep now?" Tatsuya's eyes opened at the sudden noise, drawing him away from slumber. Lifting his head slightly, his eyes met those of his roommate, Alexander Matthis. The blonde's deep green eyes were sparkling with his usual mischief, a playful smile on his face.

Groaning, Tatsuya pushed himself up to a sitting position. "What do you want?" he asked tiredly. "Come now, is that any way to talk to your friend who you haven't seen in three days?" Alexander replied, swinging his short legs back and forth over the edge of his bed.

_It is true that we haven't spoken in a while, but does he really need to poke his nose into my business all the time? _"Alex, now really isn't the time to sit and have a chat."

The blonde pouted childishly. "I would think now is the best time to have a chat, actually. After all, you're going off to participate in the Holy Grail War soon, aren't you?"

Tatsuya sighed. "Yeah, that's right, in Paris. What about it?"

"What about it? Tatsu, do you even know how _big_ this is? A Holy Grail War! And you get to be a part of it!"

"Oh gee, I guess I should be more excited that I get to risk my life for a cup that I won't even get to keep," Tatsuya deadpanned, cringing slightly at the nickname his friend still insisted on using.

Despite the cutting retort, Alexander's face still bore his trademark "I find this not funny situation funny for some reason because I'm Alexander motherfucking Matthis" grin. "C'mon Tatsu. At least be a little excited at the possibilities! You get to meet a legendary hero from the past! I'm sure there's at least a hundred people who would give anything for a chance like this."

Tatsuya raised his head to meet Alexander's eyes directly. "Alex, it is very likely that I'm not coming back from this trip to Paris. You understand that, right?"

His friend nodded, but the grin hadn't left his face. "Oh, I'm well aware that I could lose my best friend within the month. However, I'm choosing to focus on a more exciting possibility: my best friend getting his ultimate wish granted after fighting alongside a legendary hero. Now, I don't know about you, but I personally find that to be a much better scenario to imagine. Plus, Paris is always a win, eh?"

Despite the grimness of the situation he was facing, Tatsuya couldn't help but crack a light smile at his friend's zeal. If there was one thing Alexander Matthis had, it was optimism. Almost annoyingly so. "Alright, alright," he yielded, raising his hands in mock surrender, along with a wink. "I'll choose to believe that I won't get murdered brutally, and that I won't have to give the Grail to that dried-up rasain Belfaban."

"That's the spirit" Alexander cheered, giving a thumbs up. "Now, I'll get out of your hair for a bit. Get some sleep, my friend. And then, go kick some ass, alright?" With that, the blonde jumped up from his bed, humming a tune as he made his way out of the room.

Watching his friend go, Tatsuya couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. The two of them had become fast friends after being assigned the same dorm room. Since then, they'd helped each other again and again through classes, taking turns prodding the other awake during lectures or during all-night study sessions before exams. And now, all of that could be over. Stupid Grail. Stupid War.

Forcing himself to push those thoughts out of his mind, Tatsuya laid back onto his bed. Sleep was the only thing he needed to worry about for now. And with no other interruptions, the boy drifted off to slumber, not noticing the faint glow emanating from his hand.

* * *

_When he awoke, he was lying in a field of fallen cherry blossoms. Each petal on the ground looked so delicate, as if they would shatter like glass. As he stood, more petals blew by on a warm and gentle wind. This field, this wind, everything about this world felt __**right**__. As he felt the breeze blow across his skin, he simply stood there and drank in the blissful feelings this field brought. _

_Suddenly, he felt a cold chill run down his spine. The warm air became frigid. All around him, the petals rapidly turned black and crumbled to dust. Turning around, he was met with the sight of a monstrous shadow, as tall as a mountain. Despite the haze surrounding it, he could make out eyes, blood red and practically oozing malice, and fangs, polished silver and razor-sharp. _

_He tried to run, to get away from the monster. But his legs would not move. He could not unroot his feet from the ground. He could only stand there, shaking from the cold, as the beast opened its jaws and lunged at him, fangs ready to devour him whole._

* * *

Tatsuya woke with a start, sitting up quickly as he fought for breath. Looking around the room, he realized it had to be fairly early in the morning. The first rays of sunOn the other side of the room, he could make out the faint outline of Alexander, fast asleep and curled up in his blankets. He must've returned while Tatsuya was sleeping. Looking at the clock, it showed the time as 6:30 AM. Early time to wake up indeed.

The black-haired Master brought his hand to his forehead, finding it slick with sweat. Whatever dream he had been having, it must've been pretty intense. Sighing, he laid back down and attempted to go back to sleep. However, no matter how he tried, he could not seem to fall asleep. Resigning himself to an annoyingly early start to the day, Tatsuya quietly got dressed and left the dorm, careful not to wake his friend.

Tatsuya wasn't sure where he was going as he walked through the dim halls. But perhaps he didn't really need to know. Wandering did have its merits, after all. Yet, as he walked through the many halls of the Clock Tower, the negative thoughts and worries about the upcoming war crept up on his mind. One doubt, one question, stronger than all the others.

_Why me? Why did the Grail choose me? I had no reason to fight in this War, and every reason not to. So why was I given Command Seals? _Tatsuya shook his head angrily. He wouldn't solve anything by going around in circles with himself. Looking up, he realized his feet had carried him to the doors leading to the training hall. Shrugging, he headed inside. If he was going to be up at this hour, he may as well make use of it.

The spacious training hall reminded him of a theater, in some ways. Multiple large, circular areas were laid out for practicing magecraft and/or basic combat. Rows of grandiose marble pillars held up a high-arching ceiling. While there were no designated seating areas, Tatsuya imagined it would not be hard to use this room for a performance or the like.

Making his way to the console next to the nearest practice area, Tatsuya entered the code he'd seen countless times. A soft whirl was heard, before a number of practice dummies popped up from underneath the floor. Each one was affixed with a combination of gems and blessings, allowing them to be used for target practice without sustaining damage that wouldn't be repaired automatically in a matter of seconds. Definitely helpful when they faced the wrath of mages not yet able to fully control their castings.

Stepping into the center of the ring, Tatsuya readied himself. He took several deep breaths, before slowly beginning to channel his mana through his fingertips. A swirl of wind formed, ruffling his sleeves. Tightening his focus, he raised his hand towards the dummy, before splaying his fingers. The shapeless wind formed into a crescent-like blade, edge pointed out at his target. With a final flick of his wrist, the wind blade shot towards the dummy like a rocket, slicing through the air as it struck.

**Wind's Edge**, the first-ever combat related spell he had learned. Simple, yet marginally effective. Going through each dummy, Tatsuya practiced the wind elemental spells he knew over and over again. As he continued to train, the voices in his head continued to grow louder, practically screaming at him.

"_You have no chance." _A dummy's arm flew off into the wall. _"There's no way to win." _A dummy clattered to the floor in pieces. _"You won't last a day." _A dummy's head exploded into splinters. _"You're too weak." _One dummy became two as a blade of wind cut it in half. _"You're going to die." _With a shout of frustration, a massive blast of wind swept the area, crushing all of the dummies that were set up.

Tatsuya panted heavily, having spent a good deal of his mana reservoirs. He didn't usually train with this much intensity, but he supposed the looming threat of the Grail War was serving as a swift kick in the butt. Gazing over at the clock on the wall, Tatsuya realized with a start that he had been in the training room for over two hours. No wonder he felt so spent.

_I might as well go get some food. The dining hall should be open by now. _After allowing himself some time to catch his breath, Tatsuya quickly cleaned up the mess he had left, before exiting the training hall. Already, tired-looking students and staff were in the hallways, on their way to breakfast or an early meeting.

When he reached the dining hall, he found it unusually abuzz with chatter. Everyone there seemed to be focused on the large television that was present at the center of the dining hall. As a rule, mages generally frowned upon the use of technology, so the TV acted as an exception, even if the only thing it ever had on was the news. Seeing as he often had other things to worry about, Tatsuya didn't normally pay attention to it. Today would be no different. Now it was time to get some pancakes.

After purchasing his meal, he sat down at a table in the back corner of the dining hall, where he hoped he wouldn't be bothered. Five minutes later, his hope would be dashed by, who else, Alexander Matthis. His friend was out of breath, clearly just having raced here from the dorm room.

"Tatsu! Have you seen the news!? You must've, right?"

Tatsuya sighed heavily. "In the time we've known each other, when have I ever paid attention to the news?"

"Geez, you don't need to be an ass about it," Alexander replied, pouting. "Anyway, you should hear this. Apparently, a weird disease has broken out in Paris, leaving hundreds bedridden. Nobody knows what it is, but it's causing tourists to cancel their vacation plans. Weird, right?"

The obvious wink Alexander gave him told Tatsuya everything he needed to understand. "You think the Grail has anything to do with it?" he asked his friend, taking a bite of his pancakes.

Nodding, Alexander took a seat across from him. "What else would it be? Unless you want to believe that a disease nobody has ever heard of before has suddenly and coincidentally broken out in the very city a Holy Grail War is happening in, thus warding off witnesses in the form of tourists?"

Tatsuya chuckled slightly. "Clearly, that is what's happening here. Pure coincidence. Definitely no shady actions on the part of the Grail."

"Yep, I thought so too," Alexander joked back, his mouth forming into his trademark grin. "You know, I never noticed how much syrup you put on your pancakes. Don't you find it gross?"

"I don't think it's _that_ much," Tatsuya protested, taking another bite of syrupy goodness.

Alexander quirked an eyebrow. "Really? Dude, it's like a syrup man nutted all over your plate. And I don't think I'm exaggerating there."

Cringing slightly at his friend's crude joke, Tatsuya quickly finished off the rest of his breakfast. The Clock Tower may be an annoyingly snobbish organization with stupidly high tuition costs, but damn could their chefs make a good pancake.

"Anyway, by the look of your face, you have something else to tell me. What is it?" Tatsuya asked, giving Alexander a smile.

"Oh, right. I guess I should tell you that I'm coming with you to Paris," the blonde replied nonchalantly.

"WHAT!?" If he hadn't finished his pancakes already, Tatsuya was sure he would've choked right then and there. "Why? How? Since when?"

Alexander giggled at his friend's reaction. "Old Man Belfaban let me know that the higher-ups want someone to go and keep an eye on you. Since there's no rule against getting outside help in a Grail War, he figured having me along would help you. Unless you'd be so cruel to reject the help of your best friend?"

"That… That's not it," Tatsuya stammered out. "It's just that… the Grail War is going to be dangerous. I'd rather not drag you into it."

"You're not dragging me into anything," the green-eyed boy replied flatly, still smiling. "I'm choosing to help my friend. Nothing more, nothing less."

"But…" Tatsuya tried to find a counter-argument, but every reply died on his lips. Finally, he relented with a long sigh. "Fine. If you really want to come, then come. But if you get hurt, remember that it's not my fault. Got it?"

"Whatever you say!" Alexander responded cheerily.

Before he could say anything more, Tatsuya noticed someone walking towards their table. Said person was Rocco Belfaban, holding something in his right hand.

"Mr. Horibe," he said as he reached the table. "It's time."

Nodding, he stood up, as did Alexander. As they followed Belfaban through the halls, the knot in Tatsuya's stomach tightened. The shapeless blob on his right hand tingled, as if it knew what was coming.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, they arrived at their destination: the summoning room. It was a simple, small room, barely larger than a walk-in closet, but large enough to serve its intended purpose. On the ground, a summoning circle was already prepared, ready to be used. And in the center of that circle, a small chip of wood sat.

"What catalyst is that?"Tatsuya asked, observing the circle.

Belfaban smiled. "You'll see soon. I don't want to spoil the fun."

Tatsuya frowned. He could feel Belfaban's gaze on him, expectant. The time was now. Steeling his nerves, he stepped forward and raised his right hand out towards the summoning circle. Taking one final deep breath, Tatsuya closed his eyes and began to recite the chant he had gone over countless times in the past four days.

"_Elements of silver and iron. Foundation of stone, and the Archduke of Pacts."_

The circle began to glow a brilliant blue light, signaling the start of the ritual.

"_Raise a wall for the wind that should fall. Close the gates of the four directions." _

"_Come forth from the Crown, and follow the forked road leading to the Kingdom." _

The blue glow grew in intensity, pale smoke beginning to swirl about the room.

"_Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny!" _

"_If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason… then answer me!" _

The piece of wood serving as the catalyst began to glow with the same light as the circle, flashing a brilliant blue.

"_I hereby swear: that I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat all evil in the world."_

"_Thou Seventh Heaven, clad in the great three words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!" _

A massive flash of light exploded forth from the circle, causing the room's occupants to cover their eyes. Tatsuya felt his right hand burn as his command seals took shape. When the glow finally died, he looked quickly at his right hand. The blob had formed into three distinct shapes. Two of them looked like crooked staves, or shepard's rod, complete with the curved head. Between them, three diamonds were present, laid connected at the tips. Suddenly, a loud ***clang*** echoed through the room, prompting Tatsuya to quickly look back at the summoning circle.

In the center of the circle, where the catalyst once stood, there was now a man. He had long black hair that reached down his back, with bangs falling over a stern-looking face. He wore a simple white kimono, exposing a small bit of his muscular chest. His hands gripped the top of a jade-green sword, who's tip hitting the ground was likely the source of the clanging. His dark blue eyes stared directly into Tatsuya's, almost as if he was trying to pick him apart.

"In accordance with your summons, I have been called," the Servant spoke, his voice deep and commanding. "I am the Saber Servant, Susano-o! I ask just one question of you:" Tatsuya swallowed a gulp as his Servant's eyes narrowed. "Do you deserve to be called my Master?"

* * *

**Chapter One: Unneeded Call**

**Summoned Servants and Masters:**

**Saber: Susano-o, Master: Tatsuya Horibe**

**Archer: ?, Master: ?**

**Lancer: ?, Master: ?**

**Caster: ?, Master: ?**

**Rider: ?, Master: ?**

**Assassin: ?, Master: ?**

**Berserker: ?, Master: ?**

**-7 Servants remain in the fight to answer the Grail's call-**

* * *

**A/N: Whew! Here it is! Chapter 1 of my first trek into the Fate series! Truthfully, I've been hooked on this series since I got into it, back in November-ish. I fought off the urge to write a story for it for as long as I could, I swear. ^-^ **

**Anyway, I'm doing this for two reasons. One, I wanted to, so I am. Two, I honestly need to take a break from anything Danganronpa related. I was getting kinda burned out, and it was contributing to CC's slow pace. I'm sorry to all who were reading it, but it's gonna be on the back burner for a bit. **

**With that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this! More is coming soon, and don't worry, future chapters are going to be longer than this one. I just felt like a shorter chapter to start things off would be a nice way to "dip my toes" so to speak, haha. **

**Anyway, if you want, please leave your thoughts in a review. I'm always looking for feedback, so if you've got any, don't be scared to give it! See y'all soon! (Hopefully not in 4 months XD) **


	2. The Maiden and The King

**Paris, France**

**Unnamed Hotel**

**March 17, 1999 **

**~9:00 AM**

Emelia didn't like waking up. Who did, really? So when the hotel assistant yelled at her to wake up at 9 AM, citing a need to "disinfect" all of the rooms, suffice to say she was not pleased. _I know they're just worried about this sudden "disease", but is this really necessary? _she thought angrily. _And it's not like disinfecting rooms is going to stop the Grail from doing what it wants. _

Sighing, she stood up from the admittedly very comfortable bed and walked over to the window, still in the oversized shirt she had gone to sleep in. The hotel she was staying at supposedly offered a view of the western part of the Seine River, which was part of the reason she decided to book there. The hotel made good on that promise… if you were willing to go to the roof and stand on some boxes.

_Oh stop it, you're not here to sightsee, remember? _Emelia chided herself lightly. Still, she would've liked to be able to look out her window at the river at night. Propping her elbow on the windowsill and resting her chin in her left hand, she allowed herself to take a short look out at the city. Not that there was much to see from the angle she had, but it was better than nothing, she supposed.

Emelia extended her right hand out of the window, her eyes easily drawn to the Command Seals that had formed recently, not long after she entered the city. To her, the bright red marks resembled a phoenix, with long tail feathers, ornate plumage, and two large wings curled in. If she was being perfectly honest with herself, she didn't know how to feel about being chosen by the Grail. On one hand, she could die a horribly painful death courtesy of her fellow Masters. On the other… Well, suffice to say some of her problems could be solved.

The blonde was forced out of her stupor by a sudden banging at her door. "Can I help you?" she asked in French, doing her level best to hide her annoyance and rather rusty French.

"I believe I told you already," came the voice of the hotel assistant. "You must leave your room so it can be disinfected. I woke you twenty minutes ago. Miss, I will give you twenty more. If you are not out, I will be notifying the authorities." With that, the woman walked away, her footsteps echoing on the floors."

With a start, Emelia realized that it was indeed 9:20. _Was I really lost in thought for that long? Oh, stop it, me! Get dressed, now! _With a flurry of speed that could likely only be matched by a certain fictional hedgehog, the young lady got dressed and hurried out of the hotel.

She'd forgotten the mirror. Of all the things to forget in the hotel room she wouldn't be allowed back in until the evening, it had to be the damn mirror.

_Calm down, it's not like anyone is going to know what it is, or take it. _Emelia told herself, taking a few deep breaths. The girl was sitting at an outdoor table of a nearby cafe, a tasty crème brûlée in a bowl in front of her, enjoying both the treat and the nice weather. Despite rushing to get ready in only twenty minutes, she didn't think she looked that bad when she briefly stopped to look at her reflection in the cafe window.

She had put on a white silken sundress, ruffled, and with orange flower designs here and there. The dress had thick shoulder straps, but was otherwise sleeveless, and was fairly low-cut, exposing quite a bit of her rather bountiful chest. On her wrists she wore a pair of matching gold bands, one on each wrist, along with a simple silver watch on her left wrist. In addition, she wore a pair of white thigh-high stockings, complete with a garter belt. On her feet, she wore a pair of tan high-heeled wedges, with their straps wrapping about her ankles. Rounding out her ensemble was a crimson bow around her neck, tied at the front by a glimmering sapphire. Her long, blonde hair was kept straight, reaching down her back past her slim hips. A white lily was pinned in her hair, just above her right ear, adding a splash of elegance to her look. Finally, her nails had been painted a soft green, matching the color of her eyes. Overall, the entirety of her outfit radiated a sort of plain elegance, often drawing glances from passersby, though never for more than a second or two. In addition to her outfit, a small handbag was seated on the table in front of her, in which she carried all sorts of things she'd need for the day. Except for the damn mirror.

As she watched the city come and go around her, Emelia couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. _This city is amazing. What I wouldn't give to be able to just go around the city and see the sights. _Reluctantly, she finished her treat, paid, and left the cafe, heading in the direction of the Bois de Boulogne. Although the large forest was a public park, it also served as a good location to perform magic, due to the leylines that ran through it.

Emelia entered the forest park as if she was a normal tourist, sticking to the public paths and stopping to take photos. She was also stopped multiple times by park staff, warning her about the recent outbreak, but she assured them all she'd be fine. _Why does everyone assume I don't know about it? _Emelia thought to herself after being stopped for the fifth time. _Do they just see me as a dumb forigner? Or could the Grail be increasing the paranoia people are feeling? _Whatever the answer was, it was certainly beginning to get on her nerves.

As soon as she was sure nobody was around her, Emelia quickly ducked off the laid out paths, heading into the deeper parts of the woods. Once she was far enough in, she quickly channeled mana into her fingers and snapped twice. A small orb of water formed just above her palm, before quickly molding into the shape of a small bird. Smiling, she let the familiar fly off, deeper into the woods, leaving a small trail of vapor in the air for Emelia to follow. The bird led her further into the woods, eventually coming to a secluded clearing, in the center of which sat an unfinished summoning circle. Emelia quickly used her familiar to check if the barriers she had set up around the clearing were still active. Once she confirmed that fact, she called the bird back to her hand, dismissing it for the moment.

Over the past few days, Emelia had been slowly building the summoning circle in the woods. It was a tedious process to be sure, since she needed literal buckets of blood to do it, but it was a necessary one. She _needed _to fight in this Holy Grail War. Even if she never intended to join it, now that she had her chance, she was not going to let it go.

The tricky part, however, came in making the summoning circle. The small bit of research she was able to do, along with short chats with her sister, noted that the circle needed to be made of blood. Not knowing what else to do, Emelia had been using her bird familiars to hunt down and kill other small birds in the forest and city. She didn't like having to kill animals, but again, she didn't have any other choice.

Truthfully, Emelia knew that there was a lot to the War she didn't understand. She only had a vague idea what it was from her sister, and until her command seals had formed, she'd dismissed it as one of those things you hear about, but never actually watch or partake in. Sort of like those really niche sporting events that got featured on the odd daytime tv station when there was literally nothing else to watch.

Sighing, Emelia took a seat under one of the trees at the edges of the clearing. Channeling her mana, she created a pair of her water bird familiars, both slightly bigger than the one she had used before. Instructing them to both be back before 5:00 PM, she sent them off on her task, leaving out the bucket she had left there before hand. The Bois de Boulogne was fine during the day, but at night it became a rather infamous den of prostitutes. The police had been trying to crack down on it for ages, but still they persisted. Suffice to say, Emelia wanted no part of that. At all.

Still, during the day, she could easily see why the forest was a popular place to visit. Even though it was March, Paris' generally warm climate and Emelia's own fairly good cold tolerance made the soft breeze blowing feel quite pleasant. The grass beneath her was soft and comfortable, almost like a freshly washed sheet. Gazing up at the clear blue sky through the treetops, she allowed herself to think back, if only for a short while.

_Was it really so short a time ago? Those long chats into the night, laughing and talking about whatever we could think of? The days I spent learning from her? _Emelia shut her eyes tightly. She'd see her again. Even if it was impossible, she'd make it happen. And to make it happen, she would need to win this Grail War. Relaxing her body, Emelia let herself drift into a light slumber, having nothing to do but wait for her familiars to return. Plus, she'd been rather rudely awakened that morning. As she drifted off, one thought was at the forefront of her mind.

_I will win this War. No matter what, I will win._

xxx

Emelia wasn't sure what had happened while she was sleeping, or how her bird familiars had managed it, but waking up to no less than seventeen dead rats in front of her was certainly **not **something she was ready for.

After recovering (more or less) from the slight shock, as well as confirming that it was indeed 5 PM, she set about to her rather gruesome task. Even if her bird familiars had been able to pour the blood of the rats into the bucket themselves, drawing the actual circle was something else entirely. Reaching into the nook of a slightly hollowed out tree, Emelia drew out a large (and annoyingly dusty) book. Flipping it open to the dog-eared page, the young woman reviewed her progress on the summoning circle. By her estimation, she would be able to finish the circle today, provided she didn't make too many mistakes.

Swallowing hard in a futile effort to quell her disgust, Emelia splayed her palms in front of her and began to slowly channel mana through them, the bands on her wrists and her fingertips beginning to glow blue with magical energy. Since she was mainly versed in water magic, she could use it on blood outside of a body, to an extent. It didn't serve much use most of the time, but was perfectly suited to a situation like this. In no way was she going to touch blood from the shit-infused rats that roamed Paris if she had any say in the matter.

The blood in the bucket began to swirl, before slowly twisting up like a funnel into a singular tube of rat blood. Tightening her focus, Emelia willed the funnel of blood towards the circle. Carefully and painstakingly slowly, she began to fill in the rest of the circle, referencing the book as much as she could. As Emelia worked, sweat began to form on her forehead and her breathing became ragged, clear indications of how tough it was to control the blood in front of her.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the last bit of the circle was completed, Emelia having just barely enough blood to do so. She collapsed onto her back almost immediately, exhausted from having to use so much magical energy. Thankfully, her wrist bands helped ease the load, as they served as external magic circuits, of sorts. They still forced her to use her own mana, but not as intensely as she would've had to otherwise. She would have enough left over to actually perform the summoning of her Servant, as long as she took a short break.

Sitting back against the tree again, Emelia reached into her bag and pulled out another item. It was a gift from her sister and her summoning catalyst: a small Japanese style fan, orange in color, with black dragon-like designs on the outsides. Opening it slowly revealed a flame design on the fan blades, as if it was trying to burn itself away. And judging by how a good chunk of the fan seemed to be burned, Emelia didn't think it was too far from the truth. Still, she wondered what kind of Heroic Spirit would be called by this fan. _I don't know of any legends that feature a burned fan… so what even is this thing? Fiore told me that it should help me summon a strong Heroic Spirit, but who exactly? _Sighing, she closed the fan. Only one way to find out.

Flipping through the dusty book once more, Emelia went over the summoning chant that she would need to use. She thought she had the basic chant figured out, but the part that worried her were the extra verses. Her sister had told her that slight modifications could be made to the ritual to change certain attributes of her Servant, but information on those modifications was not exactly easy to discern from the mountain of other spells and rituals that the book contained. After a pair of sleepless nights spent going through the massive tome, she finally found what she was looking for. Or so she hoped.

Feeling refreshed from her earlier exertion, Emelia stood up, grabbing the fan that would serve as her catalyst. It was time. Taking care to not disturb the circle, she carefully set the fan down in the middle before exiting the circle with the same care as she entered. Taking a final deep breath, Emelia extended her hand to the circle, beginning the ritual.

"_Elements of silver and iron. Foundation of stone, and the Archduke of Pacts."_

"_Raise a wall for the wind that should fall. Close the gates of the four directions." _

"_Come forth from the Crown, and follow the forked road leading to the Kingdom." _

The circle began to glow brightly with blue light as pale smoke began to swirl around the fan, ruffling the leaves of the trees around her. The wind whipped around Emelia's face, blowing her hair to and fro as she performed the ritual.

_Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny!" _

"_If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason… then answer me!"_

"_I hereby swear: that I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat all evil in the world."_

As the wind and glow grew in intensity, Emelia narrowed her eyes. All she had left was to add the modifications.

"_But thou who comes to me shall have their eyes clouded in… confusion." _

"_I shall lead you to glory, and you shall serve under my rule and aid me in riding off into the sunset, for I shall wield your chains!" _

For a second, Emelia thought she saw the summoning circle flicker, the glow dying for just a second. _Did I mess up? Surely not, right?_ Regardless, she only had one line left to chant.

"_Thou Seventh Heaven, clad in the great three words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!" _

The light from the circle exploded upwards into a brilliant pillar of light as the smoke shot outwards, forcing Emelia to shield her eyes and take a step back from the impact. After a few moments, the glow faded and the wind stopped billowing around the clearing.

Opening her eyes slowly, Emelia quickly realized she had succeeded in her summoning. In the middle of the circle, a young (and rather short) woman now stood. She was dressed in a beautiful teal kimono that hung over her shoulders and was tied by a yellow obi in the front. The kimono offered a small glimpse at the girl's modest chest which appeared to be covered by a bright yellow bikini top. Her long hair was a lighter shade of turquoise, flowing lightly down her back past her hips, to about her knees, and was decorated with light yellow hair ribbons. She also wore long white stockings along with black sandals that had yellow straps and bows. The strangest thing about her was that a pair of white, dragonish, horns appeared to be sticking out from the middle of her head, curing around her head towards the front. In her right hand she held a long naginata, colored a deep green and with blue gems embedded in the shaft near the tip.

Her yellow eyes opened slowly as she took in the sight of her new Master. However, her eyes soon softened and filled with… something that Emelia couldn't place. Her lips formed a smile, before she let out a cute giggle. "Oh my, it seems it's finally time for our fated reunion! I've waited so long for this, you know?" Her voice was soft and clear, but it carried a slight edge to it. Or so Emelia thought. "I truly hope my appearance doesn't seem weird to you, even though I'm carrying this naginata. It doesn't, right? Right?"

Emelia shook her head. "N-No, it looks… you look fine."

The Servant's smile widened as she giggled again. "Hehe, it does me good to hear you say that. I'm not entirely sure why, but my Servant class is that of Rider. It's very nice to finally meet you, Master. My name is Kiyohime. Please know, I won't let anything, or anyone, harm you."

As she was about to approach her newly summoned Servant, Emelia noticed something odd: the summoning circle was still on the ground. _Wasn't it supposed to disappear once I summoned my Servant? Ah well, I don't think it matters. I've got a Servant to talk to. _

Smiling, she extended a hand to Kiyohime, who eagerly took it. "It's good to meet you, Rider. My name is Emelia. Emelia Lugnica Yggdmillennia. Well, not really anymore, but it's still my name, hehe. I hope we can get along, Kiyo!"

The Servant's eyes widened in surprise at the nickname, causing a worried look to come across Emelia's face. "O-Oh… was that rude of me? I'm really sorry if it was. I was really just trying to be friendly but nicknaming someone you just met is rather rude and I want to be on good terms with you so please don't be mad."

Kiyohime giggled softly as her Master continued her rambling apology until she was out of breath. "No, don't apologize, Master. You can call me whatever you want, so 'Kiyo' is perfectly fine. I was just a bit surprised, is all. Please do not worry about it, Master."

Taking a deep sigh of relief, Emelia smiled back at her Servant. "If you say so, Kiyo-chan. Say, how about we go for a walk? I know that Servants can assume spirit form, but I think it would be a good way to get to know you and the area. Plus, I don't imagine it's pleasant being summoned to the middle of the woods."

The green-haired Servant answered back with a smile of her own. "I would like that very much, Master. After all, there's so much for us to talk about, now that we've finally been reunited."

Her Master gave her a quizzical look. "Hm? What was that?"

"Oh, n-nothing. Shall we be off, Master? Heehee~" Kiyohime said, shaking her head with a smile.

Unnoticed by the pair walking away, a black shadow began to overtake the leftover summoning circle, occasionally glowing a sinister red. Eventually, they'd look back at this moment and wish they'd paid more attention to what they had done. For soon, they would deeply regret it.

* * *

**Paris, France**

**Paris Streets**

**March 17, 1999**

**~6:30 PM**

It didn't take long for the pair to reach the main path of the woods, and not much longer for them to exit into the city proper. It was getting late, the sun beginning to set, casting long shadows across the city and bathing the streets in soft orange light. Birds flapped overhead, going wherever they pleased, adding to the vibrant life of the city. Already, beautiful lights in the distance shone in the sunset. Seeing this sight, Emelia could easily understand why Paris had earned the moniker of "City of Lights".

The Master-Servant duo walked together through the streets, familiarizing themselves with the city. Well, perhaps 'walking together' wasn't the right term.

"U-um, Kiyo?" Emelia asked her Servant, looking over her shoulder. The green-haired dragoness was following a small ways behind her. Her naginata had been dismissed to wherever Servants kept their weapons, having been replaced by the same fan that had served as her catalyst, or at least a replica of it. "Is there a reason you're walking so far behind me?"

Kiyohime smiled innocently back at her Master. "What do you mean? Do wish for me to be closer to you? Do you not like being far from me?"

Emelia sweatdropped slightly. "W-Well, it's kind of awkward to talk to someone that's five feet behind you."

"Well then I suppose I should walk closer to you, Master," the Rider responded, giggling as she quickly increasing her pace to walk in pace with Emelia.

"You know, Kiyo, I really expected you to be more surprised by the modern world. I mean, this must be pretty different from your time, right?" the blonde Master asked as the pair passed by a boutique that seemed to have some really cute clothes. Emelia made a mental note to remember the place so she could go there later.

Kiyohime nodded. "Yes, this large of a city is certainly very different from the secluded mountain village that I grew up in. But I'm not really surprised by it, strangely enough. When Servants are summoned, the Grail automatically instills knowledge of the modern world into them. So I already know about all sorts of modern things like cars and trains, heehee~"

"Ah, right. I forgot about that," Emelia said, scratching at her forehead in embarrassment. "I guess all of this walking around must be pretty boring if you know about everything already, huh?"

The Rider shook her head quickly. "No no, it's not boring in the least. Even if the Grail taught me about the modern world, it's still amazing in its own way. In my time, it took days for you to get anywhere, especially if you wanted to transport anything. But now, people can just hop on a train and travel miles in mere minutes. Houses used to be made of plain old wood, but now people live in metal buildings so tall they touch the sky. It's fascinating, really."

Emelia chuckled. "I suppose I'd be fascinated myself if I was pulled years into the future, hehe. Truthfully, I've been looking for an excuse to walk around the city, so I'm glad you're enjoying this."

"Of course. I'm glad to spend any time with you, Master~" Kiyohime replied, smiling a sickly sweet smile. "Although, I do have something to ask you, Master."

"Alright, and what would that be?"

"Your wish. For the Holy Grail, that is. I want to know what it is, so I know what my Master's dream is."

"Oh…" Emelia's voice trailed off, her head drooping down to look at her feet. "That… that's not important. At least not for now. I'll tell you later, ok?"

"Are you lying to me, Master?" Kiyohime had stopped dead in her tracks, her voice dangerously flat. Emelia turned to look at her Servant, feeling a small shiver run up her spine. The dragoness's eyes appeared dead and cold, her bangs casting a dangerous shadow over her face.

Emelia swallowed hard. _Oh crap, did I get on her bad side? And why the hell is she so scary like this!? _"O-Of course not, Kiyo. I mean, we're a team now, right? We're going to have to trust each other to win, so that means no lying. Anyway, what kind of Master wouldn't trust their Servant? I promise I'll tell you later, alright?"

Kiyohime seemed to relax, if only just a bit. "That's good. If you were lying to me, I might have to burn you alive… Anchin-sama~"

The blonde Master felt her blood run cold as she turned to look at her Servant. The green-haired dragoness had a smile on her face, but her golden eyes showed a very different story, carrying a barely concealed threat and that...something she had noticed earlier. _Burn me alive!? What kind of Servant did I summon? And who the hell is Anchin? Still, I should probably go along with what she says for now… right? _

Trying (and failing miserably) to quell the unease in her stomach, Emelia forced a smile. "W-well, it's a good thing I don't want to be b-burned alive, right? Hahaha…" her voice trailed off with her incredibly unconvincing laugh, but thankfully, Kiyohime didn't seem to notice. Her Servant was still staring at her with a smile, appearing lost in her own little world. _Alright, time to change the topic, and fast. _

"A-Anyway, Kiyo. Would you like to go get some dinner? I-I know Servants don't need to eat, but I wouldn't feel right to not offer."

The Rider nodded happily. "Of course, Master. I'd be more than happy to spend any and all time with you. Heehee~"

As the pair continued to walk through the streets, one question lingered at the forefront of Emelia's mind. _What the hell have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

**Paris, France**

**Maison de Laval**

**March 17, 1999**

**~7:20 PM**

Meanwhile, on the opposite edge of the city, in a fancy maison, a young noblewoman was decidedly annoyed. The package she had ordered was **late**. Didn't the postal service know who it was for? Ophilie de Laval, sitting in her favorite recliner, tapped her foot on the floor impatiently. The setting sun cast its orange glow into the lavishly decorated room, adding to the fancy look it gave off.

_Seriously, who do they think they are, giving something to me late? The lot of 'em ought to be sacked. _Turning her head to the right, she could see the summoning circle she had prepared **hours** in advance. At this rate, she wouldn't have the chance to use it until she was old and gray.

Huffing, the fifteen year-old stood up. At the moment, she was dressed in a stylish black dress, complete with a large white bow around her waist, helpfully tied at the back by one of her maids. The dress itself was long and frilly, covering most of her petite frame, reaching down to just above her ankles. Ohilie's jet black hair was kept short and tied into a single bun at the back of her head, exposing her neck, around which a violet pendant on a silver chain was hung, complimenting her eyes, which were the same color. The pendant was also engraved with her family's symbol: a silver lion. She had a rather pale complexion, and her rather long nails were painted the same violet shade as her pendant and eyes. She also wore black leggings that reached up to her thighs and a pair of black flat-bottomed dress shoes, with interlocking black stripes covering the top of her feet. She was every bit as refined as one would expect her to be, seeing how she was the daughter of Marco de Laval, one of the most influential mages in all of France, and possibly even in all of Europe, if it weren't for the Clock Tower.

Speaking of clocks, Ophelia was further angered by what she saw on hers. _7:20! I was told my package would be here by noon! What in the name of all that is good have they been doing? _

"Excuse me, Madame Ophelie?" The girl looked up to see one of her maids, Simone, walking into the room, holding a box in her hands. The middle-aged lady was dressed in a typical maid's outfit, and her silver hair was kept in one long ponytail reaching down to the middle of her back. Her blue eyes were soft and gentle as she looked at the young lady she served. "The package you sent for has arrived."

"Hmph. Finally. I trust you gave the courier a stern talking to?" Ophilie inquired, taking the box from Simone.

"Of course," the maid replied, before shifting her voice to a monotone. "How dare you keep the beautiful and peerless Ophelie de Laval, heir to the prestigious Laval family, waiting for a package to be delivered?" She had recited similar variants of that same speech to all manner of people that had some reason to knock on the door of the maison, of course hastily followed with an apology. For all her good points, her mistress was rather insistent in her dislike for all things related to the postal service.

"Yes, yes, very good," Ophile said, dismissing her with a wave. Normally, that'd be a cue for Simone to leave, but she had a question she needed to ask. But first, the maid would let her mistress open her package. Heaven only knew what she'd do if she was kept waiting any longer.

Opening the box, Ophilie carefully withdrew the object from within. It was a thin rod, silver-blue in color and seemingly snapped on one end. Magical energy seemed to radiate from it, clearly marking it as a powerful artifact of some sort.

"Madame, are you sure about this? I'm certain your father would object," Simone pressed, watching as the girl carried the rod over towards the summoning circle. She had asked this question before, but each time she had been ignored, or just waved off.

"Simone, please. You know he hardly cares. I don't see why you must be so difficult about this," Ophilie answered, placing the rod at the center of the circle. "This is my choice. Besides, you are merely here to serve me, not to question me. So please just shut up. If you must watch, fine."

Simone sighed heavily, wrapping her left arm around her right. Why did her mistress have to be so stubborn? "If I may ask then, what catalyst did you send for? I at least want to have an idea of the type of Servant you're summoning."

The young girl laughed. "Ahaha! I'm very glad you asked! For this catalyst is a broken piece of a legendary spear, wielded by a warrior that was even more legendary!"

"I see, and who would that warrior be?"

"I… don't know… actually…" Ophilie replied, blushing and looking away. "But that doesn't matter! Not when all we need to do is summon them and find out!"

Simone facepalmed. Truly, her mistress was one of a kind. But why did it so often have to be in ways you didn't want to be original in? Sighing heavily once more, the silver-haired maid watched as her mistress began to chant the summoning ritual, the circle's blue glow filling the whole room.

"_Elements of silver and iron. Foundation of stone, and the Archduke of Pacts."_

"_Raise a wall for the wind that should fall. Close the gates of the four directions." _

"_Come forth from the Crown, and follow the forked road leading to the Kingdom." _

Ophilie smirked slightly as she began the ritual. Finally, she'd show them.

_Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny!" _

"_If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason… then answer me!"_

"_I hereby swear: that I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat all evil in the world."_

As the smoke billowed forth from the summoning circle, Simone wondered if she should've secured the breakables in the room. As a matter of fact, she definitely should have done that.

"_Thou Seventh Heaven, clad in the great three words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!" _

A large pillar of light shot forth from the circle, temporarily blinding all those present. On the back of Ophilie's right hand, a burning sensation briefly overtook her as Command Seals manifested in the form of a two-headed serpent.

After a short while, the smoke cleared, offering both Master and maid a look at the Servant that had been summoned. It was a tall man, appearing to be in his mid-twenties. He had short and slightly messy blonde hair that reached to the middle of his neck, with some short bangs covering his face. Silver, medieval style armor covered his rather muscular frame, with parts of the armor having decorative blue designs. Behind him, a long blue cape billowed out, giving him a heroic aura of sorts. On his head, a golden crown sat, identifying him as a king. In his right hand, he held a shining silver-blue lance that looked as if it swirled around the grip. As he opened his green eyes, Ophilie noted that they seemed serious, but not exactly stern.

"Servant, Lancer," he began, his voice commanding, but somehow at the same time gentle. "My name is Arthur Pendragon, of Camelot. Master, I swear by my sacred lance, Rhongomyndiad, I shall allow none to harm you."

Drinking in the sight of her new Servant, Ophilie's grin widened.

* * *

**Paris, France**

**Maison de Laval**

**March 17, 1999**

**~9:30 PM**

Arthur knew that he was a Servant. One summoned by the Holy Grail to serve under a Master and fight to claim his wish. He understood that. He wouldn't have accepted the Grail's call otherwise. But…

Was the butler's outfit _really_ necessary?

His Master's attendant, the silver-haired woman named Simone, had profusely apologized when she had handed him the outfit (how had they had one that fit him already?), telling him that his Master wished for him to wear it. He had no real reason to object to the rather stylish black tuxedo, but a small piece of him questioned why this in particular had been chosen for him. Still, he supposed, it didn't really matter.

"Ahaha, well aren't you a sight?" a voice suddenly called out, prompting the King to turn around. His Master was walking down the stairs towards him, a smirk on her face. "A great king of the past, now dressed as my butler. It's almost too funny."

The Lancer Servant sighed. "I don't know why you wish to humiliate me like this, Master. I know that I am your Servant, and I assume you must be upset at my inability to take spirit form, but I must question this attire."

Ophilie smiled sweetly, leaning forward and lacing her hands behind her back. "I'm simply treating you the same way I'd treat anyone else under my wing. I **am** in charge here, after all."

"That's well and good, Master, but you seem to be forgetting that I'm a person of my own. And it's not that I mind this outfit. But if your intention was to simply degrade and mock me, well, I don't take too kindly to that."

"I'm not trying to degrade you, Lancer," Ophilie responded with a huff. "But what I **am** trying to do is make sure you know how our relationship is going to work. I'm the Master, you're the Servant. That means you do what I say, no questions asked."

Arthur sighed again, suppressing the urge to facepalm. "Master, I'm really not sure you understand how the Holy Grail War works. Yes, I'm your Servant. But if you think I'm going to do everything you tell me to do, no matter what, then I'm afraid you'll be in for a shock. Besides, isn't it nearly bedtime for you, Master?" he asked, giving her a teasing smile.

"I-I-It is most certainly not!" Opilie exclaimed indignantly, a furious blush rising to her cheeks. "Just how young do you think I am!?"

"Oh, are you sure?" Arthur asked, his smile still on his face. "I could read you a bedtime story, if you want."

"I… you… ARGHHHHH!" With a scream of pure frustration, the young Master bolted back up the stairs to her room, shutting her door with a loud slam.

"Embarrassing her to get her off your back. Not bad, I must say," Simone suddenly said, stepping in from the next room over.

Arthur chuckled. "I suppose you'd know more about dealing with her than I do. I'm just trying to not lose my cool, heh."

Despite his joke, Simone frowned. "I must apologize again for her behavior. I know that my mistress is a… difficult person to deal with, so I appreciate your patience, Lancer. Especially when it comes to your outfit."

"Please, don't. I actually quite like this, all things considered. I just wanted to make sure my Master understands that she can't expect everyone to just bend to her whims," Arthur said, giving the maid a smile.

Simone nodded. "Yes. Regrettably, that is a lesson my mistress has yet to learn. I'm afraid practically running a household for the better part of her life has had some ill effects."

"If I may inquire, where are her parents? Surely they'd be around their daughter while she's still a young age?" Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My mistress' father is often away for business, so he leaves her in my care. As for her mother… nobody knows. She just disappeared one day, and hasn't been seen since," the maid replied sadly, her voice soft.

Arthur frowned. Clearly, he'd touched on a sensitive subject. "I'm sorry. I should not have asked."

"No please, do not apologize. You had no way of knowing, after all," Simone said quickly, raising her head.

Arthur was about to reply further, when a sudden shout of "Simone! Come here!" was heard from the top of the stairs. Clearly, his Master needed something from the silver-haired woman.

Said maid offered him a quick smile. "I should go see what she needs. And if I may be so bold as to ask this of you; please look after my mistress. I was personally against her joining this War, but of course she ignored my worries. I don't wish for her to get hurt, or worse. So please, make good on the vow you swore when you were summoned, alright?"

"Of course, Simone. Though, in exchange, could I ask a favor of you?"Arthur asked, nodding in response to her request.

"And what would that be?"

"Please, if you will, just call me Arthur. At least while we're not around other Servants or Masters. It'd be a welcome change of pace from my time, if you can understand that."

The maid's eyes went wide briefly, before her face settled into a smile. "If you say so, Arthur." With that, she hurried up the stairs to attend to Ophilie.

Now left alone, Arthur walked towards the window and gazed out at the City of Lights. For whatever reason, something felt off to him. About the city, and about this Grail War. Whatever it was, he prayed that he would not come to regret not knowing what it was sooner. _No matter what, I will make our wishes, mine and my Master's, reality. I will not accept anything less._

* * *

**Chapter Two: The Maiden and the King**

**Summoned Servants and Masters:**

**Saber: Susano-o, Master: Tatsuya Horibe**

**Archer: ?, Master: ?**

**Lancer: Arthur Pendragon, Master: Ophilie de Laval**

**Caster: ?, Master: ?**

**Rider: Kiyohime, Master: Emelia Lugnica Yggdemillenia **

**Assassin: ?, Master: ?**

**Berserker: ?, Master: ?**

**-7 Servants remain in the fight to answer the Grail's call-**

* * *

**A/N: Before I sign off, I want to give a HUGE thanks for CelestialSkyDragon for creating Emelia! She's a fantastic character, and I'm excited to be able to have her as a part of this story. On that note, please feel free to leave any and all comments, concerns, or just plain criticism in a review. I'll try to reply to them, to the best of my ability haha ^-^ **

**Anyway, tune in soon for Chapter 3: The Fox and the Huntress! See y'all then!**


	3. The Huntress and The Fox

**Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan**

**Takeru Family Estate**

**March 10, 1999**

**~11:00 AM**

"You're absolutely sure there's nothing I can do to convince you otherwise?" Sato Takeru asked worriedly, following after a younger man along the porch of the house.

"For the last time, no. I'm doing this, and you can't stop me." The young man who responded turned to look at his senior, a confident smirk on his face. He was dressed in a typical Japanese hakama, with the top half being red, and the lower half being black with a red dragon design running across it. He was also sockless, as he was wearing a pair of slippers, though he would normally be wearing geta shoes if he was outdoors. His chocolate brown hair was rather wild and unkempt for the most part, save for the short ponytail he had in the back, along with his bangs being slightly parted to the right, to keep them clear of his ruby red eyes. However, those two things did little to hide the rather long sidebangs his hair naturally fell into. In addition, around his neck, he wore a seemingly decorative necklace, looking like a brightly colored feather of some kind. His skin was rather tanned, and he also had numerous freckles all across his body. The young man was also in remarkable physical condition, sporting plenty of muscle in his arms, legs, and chest.

"Raijin, please listen to me," the older man protested. "I know that you are remarkably talented and strong. I know that you wish to prove that strength. But a Holy Grail War is far more than a simple test of strength."

Raijin scoffed lightly. "Please don't act like I don't already know that, old man. I've done my due diligence in terms of research."

"I'm not accusing you of not knowing," Sato corrected. "But there's a very good reason the Takerus have never participated in a Holy Grail War."

"If you ask me, I still think that 'very good reason' is just plain old cowardice," Raijin responded snappily, rolling his eyes.

Sato let out a deep sigh, collecting his thoughts. "Please, listen to me. The Grail Wars of Fuyuki became naught but petty squabbles between the Three Families. And look where it's led them. They've invested so much of their lives preparing for just one singular event that it drove them mad. Even after the Grail disappeared, they continued to fight whenever a Lesser Grail showed itself, leading to first, the collapse of the Matous, quickly followed by the sharp decline of the Tohsakas. They do not have heirs, and they've set themselves so far back that there is little hope of ever recovering. If the rumors are to be believed, their young boy was made to participate in desperation."

Raijin narrowed his eyes. "And what's the point? They made mistakes, so they're paying for them. Seems natural to me."

"My point is, Raijin," Sato continued, matching the young man's gaze. "You may think you understand the Holy Grail War. But what you fail to understand is that, even if you survive, you **will not** come out the same. You **will** be changed, and it will hurt. If anything could be learned from the course of the magical world over the past century, it is that. I know that I lack the power to stop you. But I will ask that you think at least a bit more on if this is truly something you wish to do." Without waiting for a response, the old man turned and walked away, leaving Raijin alone on the porch.

_What's his deal? _he thought with annoyance. _He of all people should know that I'll have no problems; that I'm easily strong enough to win. But he doesn't want me to participate? _Raijin shook his head angrily, huffing a bit. _If he won't believe in me, then I'll just have to show him. I'll show them all. I __**will**__ make my mark! And then the world will know my name, and know me as the strongest swordsman to ever live!_

Taking a deep breath to calm his sudden surge of vigor, Raijin set off towards the estate's shrine. He had quite a bit of preparation to do.

* * *

**Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan**

**Takeru Family Estate**

**March 12, 1999**

**~2:45 PM**

Opening his eyes, Raijin slowly rose up from the bow he was in. He had just finished a prayer to Amaterasu; a final request for blessings in his upcoming fight. Most people in Japan practiced Shintoism, and Raijin was no such exception. However, he felt that his family was closer to the gods than most.

Slowly extending his hand, he took the Amaterasu medallion from the shrine. The medallion itself had been passed down the Takeru line through the ages, all the way back to his distant ancestor: Yamato Takeru, the 12th Emperor of Japan. _Such an important artifact will surely allow me to summon a powerful Servant,_ Raijin reasoned to himself. _Perhaps I can even summon Yamato himself? Well, only one way to find out, I suppose. _

Making his way out of the shrine, Raijin headed to the part of the forest in which he had set up the summoning circle, which took him through a good part of the estate.

The estate itself was a beautifully designed traditional minka, complete with everything one would expect, such as the tatami mats, sliding doors, and even the genkan entrance way for guests to take off their shoes. It was also nestled in the woodlands that covered nearly all of the rather mountainous western Sapporo, also near the Toyohira River.

To Raijin, the amount of woodland surrounding the house was his favorite part of it. During autumn, the vibrant colors of the leaves seemed to put on a brilliant fireworks display, and in the winter, the snow-covered forest became a soft haven of tranquility. The peaceful forest was also a great place to finely tune his magecraft, due to how relaxed he felt in it.

It was for that reason that he had set up the summoning circle in the woods, where he could freely relax his mind for the summoning ritual. However, he was soon interrupted while making his way there.

"Raijin! Wait!" He smiled as he turned to face the source of the voice. Running towards him was Misaka, his younger cousin. Being two years younger than him, she was quite a bit shorter, and had green eyes instead of red, but they still shared the same chocolate brown hair that was commonplace in the Takeru line, although hers was much longer than his. The girl was out of breath, clearly having ran to catch up to him.

"What is it, Misaka?" Raijin asked, looking down at his cousin who was currently hunkered over, hands on her knees, trying to get her breath back. The girl held up one finger to him, signaling that her breath was still not back. The sight caused Raijin to let out a small laugh. "Why'd you run all the way here? It's not like I left yet."

Pouting, his cousin stood up straight, looking him directly in the eyes. Or at least as close to directly in his eyes as she could, being six and a half inches shorter than him. "Jeez, you don't have to be a jerk about it. Grandfather told me that you were doing your summoning today. I just came to wish you luck!"

Raijin chuckled, reaching down to ruffle his cousin's hair. "Well, I guess I should thank you, huh? But don't worry, there's no way I'm going to mess this up."

Misaka smiled brightly back up at him. "Of course you won't. It's you after all, heehee!"

"If you knew I wasn't going to mess up, why did you feel the need to wish me luck?" Raijin asked teasingly, arching an eyebrow.

His cousin pouted again, folding her arms. "Jeez, you're really mean sometimes, you know that? Maybe I just wanted to make sure, hm?"

Raijin laughed again, which only served to deepen Misaka's pout. "Are you sure you don't just want to watch?"

"Maybe…" his cousin huffed out, glancing to the side. "Is that a problem?"

"Not really, but I'd really rather do this alone," he responded, shaking his head. "I just have a feeling that would be better, alright?"

Misaka's pout somehow grew deeper. "So you think I'm gonna mess you up, is that it?"

"No, not at all," Raijin assured her, "I just think it would be better for me to summon and meet my Servant first, alone. I promise though, I'll let you meet them afterwards, ok?"

"Fiiiiine… I'll be waiting back at the house. Don't keep me too long, alright?" With that, his cousin turned and raced back through the woods towards the house, her brown hair trailing behind her.

Raijin watched her go with a smile. Despite the fact that they were cousins, it wasn't a stretch to say they were as close as any normal pair of siblings would be. _And unlike Gramps, she actually thinks I can do this… But I suppose the old man has always lacked a bit in sense. _

Setting off deeper into the woods, Raijin soon came to the clearing in which he had set up the summoning circle. It had taken him a good deal of time to make the circle itself, but now, it was ready. And so was he. He had decided to try and summon a Saber-class servant, and with his amulet, he had no reason to think he wouldn't be able to. Carefully placing the amulet in the center, Raijin held out his arm, prepared his mana, and began to chant.

"_Elements of silver and iron. Foundation of stone and the Archduke of Pacts."_

"_Raise a wall for the wind that should fall. Close the gates of the four directions." _

"_Come forth from the Crown, and follow the forked road leading to the Kingdom!" _

Wind began to swirl wildly about the forest, shaking the leaves of the trees. The circle also began to glow a brilliant blue, practically oozing mana.

"_Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny!" _

"_I hereby swear: that I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat all evil in the world!"_

"_Thou Seventh Heaven, clad in the three great words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!" _

The light of the circle exploded upwards, momentarily blinding Raijin. His right hand began to sear in pain as his command seals, crimson marks in the shape of three swirls of wind, took their place. The blinding light eventually dispersed, a pale blue steam seeming to flow out of where the circle used to be. Soon, the smoke cleared, revealing the Servant that Raijin had summoned.

She was a beautiful woman, clad in an ornate blue, gold, and black kimono that exposed her bare shoulders and quite a bit of her rather impressive bust. Her pink hair was tied into two tails that reached just past her shoulders by a pair of almost comically large blue ribbons, leaving some hair to drip down the sides of her face to her shoulders. She was also wearing blue thigh-high stockings that left a slight gap between them and the bottom of her kimono. On her feet, she was wearing a pair of black sandals, the bottoms of which seemed to add an inch or two to her height, but she was still rather short, almost as short as Misaka.

The strange thing about her was, however, were the large and bushy fox ears that protruded from her head, along with a similarly bushy fox tail extending behind her. When she opened them, her golden eyes seemed full of mischief, but also of some sort of elegance, strangely enough.

"Servant, Caster," she spoke, smiling at Raijin. "Your reliable shrine maiden fox, Tamamo-no-Mae, has now arrived! Don't worry, Master, I'll always be there for you!"

Raijin would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised at the appearance of his Servant. _Tamamo-no-Mae? The wicked fox spirit who tricked and poisoned Emperor Toba? __**That's**__ who I summoned as my Servant? _

Swallowing slightly, Raijin stepped forward to introduce himself. "Hello there, Caster. My name is Raijin Takeru, current head of the Takeru family line, and descendent of Yamato Takeru. It's good to meet you."

Strangely, Tamamo pouted, resting a hand on her hip. "Jeez, what's with the super stiff tone? You don't need to be so formal around your devoted wife, you know."

"Devoted wife?" Raijin questioned, now thoroughly confused. "Where is that coming from? And…"

"And?" Caster asked back, tilting her head.

"Well, I'm sorry if this seems really rude, but… aren't you a… well, villain? I seem to recall reading about a fox spirit named Tamamo-no-Mae that poisoned the emperor. That's you… right?"

His Servant continued to pout, glancing angrily to the side. "Why do the history books never get that right? Seriously, it's really annoying."

"So, you didn't do any of that?" Raijin asked hesitantly, still unsure what to make of his Servant.

"Nope, none of it," Tamamo responded, her tone sounding slightly bitter. "You see, I was actually created from one of Amaterasu's tails, making me a goddess of sorts. I was never an evil fox spirit, despite what everyone tries to say about me."

"W-Wait. You're a goddess? Born from Amaterasu?" Raijin questioned, his eyes widening. Tamamo nodded, and almost immediately Raijin bowed respectfully.

"Master? What's with the bowing?" she questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

"I-I'm so sorry! For me, one of the Takeru line, to call a scion of the great goddess, Amaterasu, evil? Ah, I feel like such a fool right now!"

Raijin's rambling apology did nothing to end Tamamo's confusion. "What does your family have anything to do with it?" she asked.

"Well, my family was one to receive gifts from Amaterasu, signifying our right to rule," he explained, still bowing. "And my family received…" Raijin paused, focusing his mana. In his mind's eye, a small gateway appeared. Reaching into it, he drew out the object he was looking for: an ornate jade katana, sheathed in silver leather with a matching hilt. The katana appeared in Raijin's hand as if he had pulled it from nowhere, a rather useful application of his magecraft. "Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. The Grass Cutting Sword," he finished, holding out the blade to Tamamo. "Amaterasu gifted it to my ancestor, Yamato Takeru, the 12th emperor of Japan. Since then, it has been passed down through the generations."

Caster tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Hmm, alright. But why are you…" she trailed off, before her face lit up in excitement. "Unless this is your wedding gift! It is, right?"

"Um, what?" Raijin asked, clearly perplexed, causing Tamamo to sweatdrop. _Is my Master really this dense? _she thought in annoyance. _Well, whatever. That'll just make our eventual union all the better!_

"A-anyway," Raijin began, finally coming out of his bow. "Since you're the Servant I summoned, this means I have Amaterasu's blessings, right? Heh, there's no way I can lose this Holy Grail War now!"

Tamamo was about to respond when she suddenly took notice of their surroundings. "Umm, Master, if I may ask, why are we in the woods?"

"Oh, right," Raijin responded slightly awkwardly. "We're actually sorta in my backyard. The house is this way," he said, pointing back towards the house. "C'mon then, Caster. I'll introduce you to my grandfather and my cousin. And show you around, if you want."

"Oh my. Taking me to meet your family already? You move faster than I thought, Master, hehe~" Tamamo giggled out as the two of them set off through the woods.

_What's with her? _Raijin thought, sweatdropping.

xxx

If Raijin wasn't confused about his life already, he certainly was now. Earlier that day, things had made sense. He was going to summon a legendary hero from the past using magic, fight with said hero in a battle with six others to win a cup and prove himself the strongest Magus. Simple enough.

Having a fox shrine maiden (that he summoned, no less) trying to force-feed him homemade udon was NOT supposed to be part of anything. Or so he thought.

"Open up, Darling~" Tamamo cooed, holding out her chopsticks.

"I told you already, Caster. I can feed myself," Raijin grumbled, pushing Tamamo's chopsticks away. "Why do you think I can't?"

His Servant pouted, placing her chopsticks back down on the table. "Jeez, can't a wife take care of her beloved?"

"I still have no idea what you're on about, Caster, but thank you for dinner," he responded, turning his attention back to his food. "Regardless, we should start making plans for the Grail War, no?" He took a few bites of the udon, trying to sort out the whirlwind of confusion surrounding his mind. As he ate, Raijin had to admit: for as strange as Caster was, she definitely knew how to cook. The noodles were cooked to perfection, and the beef had just the right amount of tenderness to it, each bite practically exploding in flavor in his mouth.

Suddenly, Tamamo let out a giggle, followed by another. And then another. Raijin looked at her curiously. "What is it, Caster? What is so funny?"

Tamamo didn't respond, instead continuing her giggling. She then conjured an ornate mirror, seemingly out of nowhere, and held it up towards her Master. It was then when he realized why his Servant was giggling so much. Raijin's face around his mouth was absolutely **coated** in soy sauce and other dribble from the udon. He always knew that he was a messy eater, but never to this extent. Blaming the mess on how good Tamamo's cooking was, he scrambled for a napkin to wipe his face, ignoring the giggling still coming from Caster.

Clearing his throat, Raijin attempted to steer the conversation back in a manageable direction. "Anyway, Caster. I should probably let you know; I intend to leave for Paris tomorrow. For now, you should probably assume spirit form, as to not waste our collective mana reserves. We'll still be able to communicate that way, as to make our plans."

Tamamo's face once again fell into a pout. "You know I'm a Caster, right? That means I should have more than enough mana to stay in physical form, as long as I'm not recovering from a fight. Do you just want to get away from me, Darling? Is that it?"

Raijin shook his head. "No, Caster. I'm aware of your class' advantages when it comes to mana consumption. But I still would rather avoid wasted magical energy, wherever it can be helped. Please, just take spirit form, ok?"

Rolling her eyes, Tamamo complied, seemingly vanishing into blue light. _"So, what now, Darling?" _

"Now, I do the dishes," Raijin responded, standing up and beginning to collect the bowls. "And while I'm doing that, we make some plans. Shall we begin, Caster?"

Tamamo rematerialized almost immediately, quickly taking the bowls from Raijin. "Darling, surely you realize that your devoted wife should be the one to do the cleanup, no?" she asked, giving him a wink.

"Caster!" Raijin snapped, clearly annoyed by his Servant's antics. "I told you to stay in spirit form!"

"I'll go back in once the dishes are done, ok? Besides, it'll be easier to talk in person, won't it?"

Raijin groaned. _How can a Shinto goddess be so… this? _Despite asking the question to himself, he had no hope that he'd find the answer any time soon. For now, along with the fact that he was about to enter a Holy Grail War, it seemed like his life was only going to get weirder. And that thought quite honestly sent a small chill down his spine.

* * *

**Paris, France**

**Roussel Household**

**March 18, 1999**

**~7:40 PM**

Hugo Roussel had been through many difficult things in his lifetime. Countless obstacles and hardships; he'd fought through them all. No matter how hopeless his situation seemed, he'd always find a way through.

But now? Now, he was on the cusp of what was likely going to be the most dangerous situation of his life. One that would no doubt test him to the very limits of his being.

"I'm sorry, Clara. We're out of dinosaur chicken nuggets. Besides, I'm making something else for dinner tonight."

The entire world of the little girl in front of him seemed to shatter into tiny, bite-sized, dinosaur-shaped, pieces. With an _incredibly _intimidating (not really, but Hugo was fine with humoring the kids) stomp of her foot, she turned and ran up the stairs back to her room. Nearly immediately, the tell-tale signs of a dinosaur chicken nugget withdrawal tantrum began, in the form of a rather large slam of a door, followed by a good deal of angry stomping.

Hugo sighed, smiling slightly. At present, there were 5 total kids in his care, each one of them their own little bundle of problems. None of them were his biologically, but he cared for them as if they were. Still, he wouldn't have his life any other way.

More than others he knew, Hugo was well aware of the fact that he wasn't getting any younger. Already, he was sixty-seven, and that number would continue to grow in the future. His once black hair was now more grey than black, and his skin was wrinkled all over, tell-tale signs of the time he had spent on earth. Plus, even with all the perks being from a mage family provided, Hugo went a while without ever finding anything to do with his life. And thus, he figured, if he wasn't going to do anything with his, he could at least make others' lives better. Hugo knew he wasn't saving the world, or even anything remotely that crazy. But this was something that he knew he could do, and knew he wanted to keep doing for as long as he could. To that end…

Hugo mentally slapped himself, returning to preparing dinner. There would be time for those thoughts later.

"Um… Papa?" The elderly man turned around to the source of the voice, coming to face one of the children he took care of: a meek ten-year old boy named Louis. "Do you have time to help me with my assignments? I don't understand them…"

"I'm afraid I can't right now, Louis. Can you wait until after dinner? I promise I'll help you then," Hugo responded, giving the boy a smile.

Louis gave a quick nod, before rushing off, presumably back to his room. _That's the third straight day he's needed help, _he thought, frowning. _I hope everything's alright in school, for him. Anyway, back to dinner._

Or so he thought, until Andre, another of the boys he was housing, and the eldest, came up to ask him to look at his science project. And so it went: cook, answer a problem, cook, answer, cook some more, answer some more. _It looks like another late night for me… _Hugo thought, sighing to himself.

xxx

Eventually, dinner was cooked, eaten, cleaned up, homework was helped with, science projects were looked at, and 5 kids were put to bed.

Hugo collapsed into his armchair, thoroughly spent from the evening. Sure, he was happy with what he did, but he'd be damned if it wasn't exhausting. _And it's only going to get more tiring soon, _he thought, directing his gaze to the back of his right hand. There, a dark red blotch was making itself known.

Hugo wasn't an idiot; he knew what that meant. When the mark had first appeared, however, he was admittedly confused. Why would an artifact like the Holy Grail choose him? A random old man? Still, he decided to take it as a sign. If he could win the Grail War, then his goals would not be as far fetched as he thought them to be.

_That's assuming I can win _Hugo reminded himself, standing up. _Besides, first things first, right? _Taking care not to make too much noise, he made his way to the stairs leading to the very dark and very cluttered basement of the house. At the bottom, he had created a summoning circle, in preparation for the war he was to fight in. making the circle had been a bit of an ordeal in and of itself. After all, creating a magic circle made of blood in the basement of a house that held 5 children required a great deal of planning, secrecy, and some plain old dumb luck not to be spotted or questioned. There was also the matter of the almost ridiculous amount of time he needed to spend on the children each and every day. Because of these admittedly self-inflicted problems, the creation of the magic circle had taken him the past four days. But now, it was finally ready.

As he readied himself for the actual summoning, Hugo had to lament the fact that he did not have any catalyst. Normally, in a Holy Grail War, Masters would use them to attempt to summon a specific Heroic Spirit, but he had no such luck. Whatever Servant the Grail decided to send him would have to do, one way or another.

Taking a deep breath, Hugo held out his hand to the summoning circle, focused his mana, and began the ritual.

"_Elements of silver and iron. Foundation of stone and the Archduke of Pacts."_

The circle began to shine a pale blue, illuminating the dark basement, revealing just how messy it was. Even mid-ritual, Hugo winced at how messy he had let it become.

"_Raise a wall for the wind that should fall. Close the gates of the four directions."_

"_Come forth from the Crown, and follow the forked road leading to the Kingdom!" _

"_Heed my words. My will creates your body and your sword creates my destiny!"_

"_If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason… then answer me!" _

Pale smoke was now oozing out of the circle, further casting the basement in a pale blue glow.

"_I hereby swear: that I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat all evil in the world!"_

"_Thou Seventh Heaven, clad in the great words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!" _

Light exploded forth from the circle, momentarily blinding Hugo. His right hand burned and pulsed with mana, his Command Seals taking their shape: a jagged face forming into a frown, a pair of J shaped tears curling outwards from the eyes. After a few moments, the light dispersed, allowing Hugo to view the Servant that he had summoned.

It was a green-eyed woman, clad in a fancy dress in a lighter shade of the same color, with a black and gold design around the chest area. Silver-iron gauntlets covered her hands and wrists, and she wore long thigh-high black boots with forest green designs running up their front. Her hair, in the front, was a slightly darker green than her eyes. However, as it moved down her back, the shade gradually shifted to a gold, and then finally to platinum blonde at the very bottom. In addition, she had tied a braid in her hair that wrapped around the back of her head.

In all respects, his Servant had the appearance of a beautiful young woman, as if out of a fairy tale (and considering the nature of Heroic Spirits, Hugo reasoned that could very well be the case). However, two things stuck out to the man. Well, three. On the top of her forehead, just above her braid, a pair of bushy cat-like ears were visible, as well as a matching tail extending from her lower back, both the same golden color as parts of her hair.

"Archer, Atalanta," she spoke, her voice clear and firm, "Are you my Master? If so, best regards."

Hugo chuckled lightly, stepping forward. "Well now, I didn't expect to summon such a pretty young lady for my Servant."

Archer's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And I didn't expect to have a dirty old man as my Master."

"Well now, that's rather rude, don't you think?" Hugo replied, offering his Servant a smile.

"And I personally think it's rather rude to open conversation by making patronizing remarks," she retorted, her voice taking on an edge.

Hugo held up his hands in mock defense. "I assure you, I wasn't trying to be patronizing. Just offering a compliment. I suppose I know better than to do that now."

Atalanta was about to respond when suddenly, a voice called out from the top of the basement stairs. "D-Dad? Who's that lady?"

Two sets of eyes quickly flicked to the source of the voice. There, Clara, the young girl with the chicken nugget addiction, stood, her eyes wide.

"C-Clara! What are you doing still up?" Hugo stammered out, his brain whirling to try and come up with an excuse. Sure, he expected to have to reveal his Servant to the children eventually, but he had hoped he wouldn't have to mere moments after the summoning.

"I c-couldn't sleep. I-I'm sorry… I came downstairs a-and saw all those lights from the basement a-and…" the poor girl whimpered, clearly on the verge of tears.

Hugo struggled to find a response, not wanting to upset the girl further. Then, something happened that he did not expect.

"It's okay, little one. I'm just here to help your dad for a little while," Atalanta said, kneeling down and beckoning the child closer. Her voice was now soft and warm, a smile making itself known on her face; a sharp contrast from her previous disposition. "There's no reason to be afraid."

Hesitantly, the girl crept down the stairs to where the Servant and her Master stood, doing her best to hide behind Hugo once she reached the bottom. Despite the girl's obvious fear, Archer's smile did not waver.

"I'm sorry if I scared you," the Servant said lightly. "So how about I tell you a story? Do you think that would help you sleep?"

Clara's eyes lit up, clearly excited by the prospect of a rare bedtime story. But, as if she was trying to hide her obvious excitement, she snuck further behind Hugo, who still stood with a baffled expression. "...what kind of story?" she questioned, putting on her very best intimidating voice.

Atalanta let out a small laugh. "Any kind of story you want."

Clara's eyes shifted up towards Hugo, practically begging to be allowed to get a story from the mystery woman. Giving her a smile of his own, he nodded, causing the girl's excitement to become readily apparent once more.

"Why don't you head back to your room?" Hugo suggested. "She'll be right up to give you your story, okay?" Clara nodded eagerly, before racing back up the stairs and to her room. Hugo watched her go, and then turned back to Archer, a slightly bemused expression on his face.

"What?" she asked, her voice slightly hardening again. "Do you have something to say?"

"Nope, nothing," Hugo responded, chuckling slightly, prompting Atalanta to roll her eyes.

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a story to tell." With that, the Servant began to walk up the stairs, before suddenly stopping.

"Is something the matter, Archer?"

"I-I don't know… where her room is…" she replied, glancing away.

Hugo chuckled lightly. "Up the stairs, second door on the right." His Servant nodded, and then continued up the stairs, likely to tell a story about dinosaur chicken nuggets, leaving Hugo alone in the basement. _Well, I certainly didn't expect that, _he thought, smirking to himself. _But I think things will work out between us._

* * *

**Paris, France**

**Roussel Household**

**March 19, 1999**

**~7:00 AM**

Hugo yawned loudly, pulling on a shirt as he headed downstairs, still half-asleep. The first rays of sunlight stemmed in from the windows, only adding to his tiredness. He had barely slept the previous night, what with having to summon his Servant and all, along with the creeping doubts about his participation in the Grail War. It was almost enough to make him want to do nothing but crawl back into bed and stay there the entire day.

Hugo shook his head angrily, clearing the thought away. While the kids didn't need to be up for at least another half an hour, and he may have a literal goblet of additional problems on his plate that needed sorting out, that didn't mean he could get out of making sure everything was ready for the kids he took care of. Furthermore, now that he had summoned his Servant, there were many more things he needed to sort out.

_At this rate, I'll be getting less and less sleep every night, _he thought glumly, heading towards the kitchen to make coffee, and then eventually breakfast. However, when he reached the kitchen, a surprise was waiting for him. Atalanta was already there, seemingly making a batch of pancakes. Hugo blinked a few times, unsure if he was still dreaming or not.

"I see you are awake, Master," she said, not turning her attention to him. "I trust you slept well?"

"U-uh, not really, no," he answered, still very much confused. "What's all this?" he asked, gesturing to the pancakes his Servant was making.

"You are running an orphanage, correct?" she asked, still not looking at him. "The least I can do is help you take care of the children."

"Well, it's not really an orphanage, per se," Hugo explained, moving to the counter to begin making a pot of coffee. "Foster home would likely be the better term to describe what I do here."

One of Atalanta's ears twitched, or so it seemed. "Ah, I see. Regardless, taking care of children with nobody else is a noble endeavor. I will admit, I may have been a bit harsh in my first assessment of you."

"Well, thank you for that, Archer," Hugo replied, smiling. "And also thank you for helping without me even asking. Truly, it means a lot. But…"

"But?"

"The kids don't need to get up for a little while. By the time they do, the pancakes will be cold, won't they?"

Atalanta frowned, turning off the stove. "Hm, I see. In my time, children rose with the sun. I suppose that too, is different now." The Servant proceeded to place two of the pancakes she had already made onto a plate before holding it out to Hugo. "Here. You may as well eat what has already been made. Wasting food is something I'd rather avoid."

Hugo graciously accepted the plate, sitting down at the table with his coffee cup in hand. "I must say, Archer. At first, I was worried that summoning a Heroic Spirit without any sort of catalyst could prove disastrous. But it seems like we'll make a pretty good team, don't you think?" The man said, giving his Servant a warm grin.

The huntress smiled back, if only slightly. "Yes, I do believe working with you will suit us both just fine. After all, it seems like our goals for this Grail War are fairly well aligned, no?"

"Indeed. Now then, we still have some time before the kids have to get up. Shall we begin making plans?"

Atalanta nodded. "Yes, let us begin at once. We shall win this War, Master. I will make it happen, I swear it.

* * *

**Chapter Three: The Huntress and The Fox**

**Summoned Servants and Masters:**

**Saber: Susano-o, Master: Tatsuya Horibe**

**Archer: Atalanta, Master: Hugo Roussel**

**Lancer: Arthur Pendragon, Master: Ophilie de Laval**

**Caster: Tamamo-no Mae, Master: Raijin Takeru**

**Rider: Kiyohime, Master: Emilia Lugnica Yggdemillenia **

**Assassin: ?, Master: ?**

**Berserker: ?, Master: ?**

**-7 Servants remain in the fight to answer the Grail's call-**

* * *

**A/N: Before I begin, I want to give a HUGE thanks to JCW18 for creating Raijin for this story. He's a fantastic character, I can't wait for you all to see what's in store with him. Additionally, I would like to make a small announcement. Next chapter will be the final set up chapter, so to speak, including this rather short chapter style. After that, the real fun begins :)**

**Please, if you can spare the time, leave a review with any thoughts, criticisms, reactions, theories, etc. Feedback truly does help my writing be the very best it can possibly be, which I feel is a win for everyone. **

**And that is it! Thank you all for reading, and I shall see you in Chapter Four: Free Birds and a Shadow. **

**-MudkipOfDespair **


	4. Free Birds and a Shadow

**Paris, France**

**Ritz Hotel**

**March 18, 1999**

**~11:30 AM**

The Ritz Hotel, Paris. A lavish hotel, reserved only for those in the upper echelons of wealth and class. If you were able to stay there, even for a night, you could easily be considered one of "the elite", and be opened to the finest in customer treatment by hotel staff. So when the hotel received a reservation request, for two whole weeks at that, from a member of a prestigious italian family, suffice to say they "rolled out the Ritz", as it were, providing every luxury possible. The customer, surprisingly, was nowhere near impressed.

The man scoffed as he was escorted through the lavish hotel. True, this was certainly the best the city had to offer, but compared to his usual lodgings, it barely met his standards. He was dressed in a fancy navy blue suit, with matching slacks and expensive leather shoes. An ascot was wrapped around his neck, and around his wrists he wore flashy golden cufflinks along with a silver Rolex wristwatch on his left wrist and a leather glove over his left hand. Brown eyes, cold and uncaring, stared out from underneath bangs of spiky dark orange hair. He carried himself through the hotel with a near overbearing sense of authority and confidence. There was no hesitation in any step, as if he was challenging those around him.

"Your room key, Mister De Scaglione," the hotel assistant said, handing the suited man a key. "If you require anything at all, do not feel afraid to ask." Alfonso rolled his eyes as the assistant walked away and entered the room calmly._ They think they can butter me up with this kind of treatment, eh? Disgusting. They need to learn their place._

The Italian man chuckled lightly to himself. It didn't matter if anyone thought themselves above him, not yet at least. After all, it would only be that much more satisfying to push them back into the dirt. Smirking, he held out his right hand, examining the red mark that had formed. They designated him as a Master in a Holy Grail War; the perfect stage to assert his dominance over those he knew to be beneath him.

Alfonso knew this War was not the reason he was supposed to be in Paris, but with such a perfect situation practically gift-wrapped for him, well, how could he refuse? Casting his mind back, he recalled the day he had been given his mission from his family's close friend and ally: the leader of the Yggdmillennia house, Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia. Technically, all he had to do was catch a little bird that had flown off from the family and return it, so to speak. But, once he arrived in Paris, he was instead greeted by the appearance of his Command Seals, or the buds that would become them.

He looked about the vast suite he had been provided with. It was certainly fancy, of that there was no doubt, with its white carpets, luxurious and comfortable bed and couches, and priceless paintings hanging from the walls. Stil, it was nothing compared to his family's estate back home, but it would do its job at the very least. Carefully, Alfonso opened one of the briefcases that had been brought up by the hotel staff and withdrew the contents: several vials of chicken blood. He was glad he brought them, as if he did not, he would have no way of creating the summoning circle needed to call forth his Servant.

As he set about setting up the circle, Alfonso felt a tad of regret about potentially ruining the expensive white carpet beneath him, before quickly brushing the thought away. If the research he had done was correct, the circle would disappear after the ritual was complete, leaving no damage behind. After a short while, he was finished.

Alfonso stood back, admiring his handiwork, before quickly glancing at the clock. 12:30 PM. His magical energy wouldn't be at its peak for another couple of hours, leaving him some time to himself. Since he had so much time, he may as well scout out the surrounding area. No doubt it would offer him an advantage in the coming war, along with hopefully offering a modicum of entertainment. Casting a simple barrier on the door, he prevented anyone else from entering for the time being. Sure, the do not disturb sign would serve the same purpose, but it could never hurt to be too cautious.

Making his way down to the lobby, Alfonso exited the Ritz onto the midday Paris streets, heading northwest. He had to admit; the city was every bit as beautiful as its reputation made it out to be. The overhead sun shone warmly down, unblocked by clouds in a clear blue sky. A soft breeze blew around as Alfonso walked, adding to the ambiance of the weather.

As he walked around the city, Alfonso took note of the people milling about the streets. The rumors about the pandemic spreading in the city had done their damage; far fewer tourists and locals were out and about. Those that were kept their distance from others, some even wearing sick masks in a futile prevention method. The sight caused him to scoff. _Do they truly think this is going to help them? It's not as if the Grail cares if you're wearing a mask or not, idiots. Ah well, I suppose I shouldn't be bothered by the whims of the masses. I am above them, after all, and they will learn that soon enough. _

The fact that a Lesser Grail had manifested in Paris had surprised him when he learned of it. True, he had heard plenty regarding the numerous conflicts using the Holy Grail War system, but as they were never truly over a Holy Grail, he never paid too much attention to them. But the allure of the Lesser Wars, true fights over portions of the Greater Grail's power that had manifested as Lesser Grails, that was the true prize. Despite his position, Alfonso had never expected to be granted the opportunity to fight in a Lesser War. But now, he had the opportunity of the lifetime, and Alfonso was not one to let chances slip from his grasp.

Finding a secluded spot in an alleyway (Why did alleyways have to be so gross? It would ruin his shoes), Alfonso held out his palm and began to channel his mana. A small swirl of flame formed, twisting and taking the shape of a small bird; a phoenix. Flexing his fingers, he sent it off to gather any info it could on the other Masters. He doubted he'd learn anything major at this stage, before the War had even truly begun, but any information was good information. Watching his familiar fly off, he exited the alleyway back onto the streets.

After a good deal of walking further, Alfonso eventually arrived at the Arc de Triomphe. Out of all the landmarks and tourist spots that filled Paris, this was the one that had always confused him the most. Sure, it was a very pretty site. But the fact that tourists flocked to what was essentially (for them, at least) a fancy gravestone and war monument irked him, for whatever reason.

To mages, however, the monument held special importance. The monument had been carefully designed to be smack-dab in the middle of multiple of the city's intersecting ley lines, before being easily disguised using it as a center of twelve of the city's major avenues. Ingenious, really. Alfonso had no doubt that when it came time for the Grail itself to fully form, the Arc would be where it did so. No other location in the city made as much sense as this one.

He scoffed as he watched the tourists (those that were still out, that is), mill about the site, taking picture after picture. If it were up to him, those worms wouldn't be allowed anywhere near the Arc. But alas, he would just have to deal with their presence. For the time being, at least.

Having finished his business at the Arc, Alfonso set out in the direction of the Eiffel Tower, to most, the symbol of Paris. Standing an impressive 1,063 feet, it was hard to be in Paris and not at the very least catch a glimpse of it. It was synonymous with the city itself, after all. As the most popular tourist attraction in the world, he should not have been surprised by the swarms of people about the area, despite the supposed virus outbreak in the city. People would always be idiots, he supposed. Still, you could only see people taking so many "clever" photos with the tower before you've seen them all.

As he walked, Alfonso took note of just how sporadic some areas were in their design. Plenty of dark alleys and narrow backways criss-crossed through the main streets and between buildings. This did not surprise him in the least, but rather, sent his mind whirling. Such places, as disgusting as they likely were, would offer plenty of opportunities for stealth and ambushes, especially if his catalyst summoned who he hoped it would. Alfonso chuckled to himself. _It's almost unfair. The other Masters stand so little chance, that I might as well not even bother. This certainly won't take long at all… _

A small alarm began to bleep forth from his watch, signaling that it was time for him to head back to the Ritz and begin his summoning. Walking back in its direction, Alfonso couldn't help but feel a very slight pang of regret that, for the moment, he could not spend more time roaming the city, especially in weather as nice as the day was providing. He shook his head quickly. There were far more important matters at the moment.

It thankfully did not take him that long to return to the hotel. He made his way to his room quickly, carefully making sure nothing had been disturbed, even with the seal he had placed on the door. Finally, it was time to begin.

Crossing the room, he carefully opened another piece of his luggage and withdrew the object from within. It was an ornate red and gold longcoat, obviously belonging to some sort of naval commander with a great deal of importance. Alfonso slowly placed the coat in the center of the summoning circle and stood back, preparing himself to begin the ritual. Once he was ready, he began to chant.

"_Elements of silver and iron. Foundation of stone and the Archduke of Pacts."_

"_Raise a wall for the wind that should fall. Close the gates of the four directions." _

"_Come forth from the Crown, and follow the forked road leading to the Kingdom!" _

The back of his right hand began to burn a brilliant crimson as his mana pooled into the summoning circle. The circle itself had begun to glow pale blue, signifying that he was successful in starting the ritual.

"_Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny!" _

"_I hereby swear: that I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat all evil in the world!"_

Alfonso took a deep breath before beginning the next line. He had done his due diligence, of course, and if he was correct (and he always was), the next piece of the chant would help him call the Servant he wanted.

_Yet you who comes shall be cloaked in shadow, unknown and unseen, until the world is ready to see who you are! _

"_Thou Seventh Heaven, clad in the three great words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!" _

A final flash of light exploded forth from the circle, momentarily obscuring everything from Alfonso's sight. Slowly, but surely, the light faded, revealing his Servant. However, he quickly noticed something very odd.

There were two of them.

He blinked a few times, as if trying to make sure that he was seeing correctly. Yet, sure enough, he had called forth not one, but two Servants.

To the right, a rather short white haired woman stood, dressed in a long black overcoat, collared so that most of her body was hidden, only parting slightly to show her white undershirt. She also wore a matching pair of black tights and a black headband through her hair, which was fairly short, save for two strands that fell around the sides of her face. The woman's sea green eyes stared at him coldly, not helped by the large scar that ran down her face.

To the left, there was a much taller blonde woman, wearing the same ornate red and gold longcoat that he had used as the summoning catalyst, worn over a maroon undershirt, neither of which did much to hide her more than generous chest. She was also wearing a black pencil skirt reaching down to her mid thigh, over a black pantyhose, held in place by a leather belt with a golden buckle around her waist. Long red gloves were worn on either hand, stretching to her biceps as she effortlessly held a massive rifle over her shoulder. Her feet were covered by a pair of thigh-high red boots, matching her gloves. Long, fluffy, blonde hair fell down past her waist, decorated into twin tails by a matching pair of red ribbons.

Her face and light ruby eyes seemed far more playful than that of her companion, almost as if she was already thinking of how best to mess with Alfonso.

"Surprising, isn't it?" The white-haired one spoke, her tone seeming fairly dismissive or uninterested. "The two of us are just one Servant, summoned here under the Assassin class."

"Yup, that's right!" the blonde continued with a smile, her voice just as playful as her eyes made her out to be, "My name is Anne Bonny, and this here is Mary Read. It's a pleasure to meet you, Master. Or I suppose 'Captain' works just as well, hehe"

Recovering from his surprise at the situation before him, Alfonso quickly stood up straighter, fixing his collar in the process. "Well then," he said, smirking. "I must thank the two of you for responding to my summons, even if the situation is… unique, to say the least. But getting two for the price of one is all the sweeter, no? The other Masters will be mere pebbles beneath our feet!"

Despite the grandiose proclamation by their Master, the Assassin Servants seemed thoroughly unimpressed. "Hey Anne?" Mary said, nudging the woman next to her gently. "Doesn't our Master seem like the annoying rich guy type?"

Anne nodded, still smiling. "You're right, Mary. Almost makes me want to loot him for all he's worth, y'know?"

"W-Wait!" Alfonso had his arms out, slightly flustered. "Servants aren't supposed to insult their Masters like that! And certainly not steal from them!"

His Servants broke down into a slight giggling fit, clearly amused by their Master's panic.

"Sure, sure," Anne assured him, not sounding serious in the slightest. "We'll keep our hands to ourselves. Unless you want to get more hands on…?" The pirate wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at him. "Don't think I didn't catch where your gaze went."

"I-I certainly did nothing of the sort!" Alfonso insisted, gritting his teeth in a mix of embarrassment and frustration.

"Master's just a pervert. Right, Anne?" Mary said quietly, the slightest of slight smirks on her face.

"Yep, yep! Sure seems that way!" Anne replied cheerfully, still grinning.

"ARGH! Stop this nonsense, both of you!" Alfonso shouted, quickly turning his back to his Servants to hide his embarrassment. "As your Master, I order you to stop, at once! For that matter, just take spirit form until I need you!"

"Fine, fine," Anne huffed, though her tone was still light. "But I've got a feeling this whole Grail War business is going to be much more fun than I thought," she added, shooting a wink at Mary.

"Oh yes, I agree, Anne," Mary replied, though it seemed her smirk had flatented. With that, the pair were suddenly enveloped by blue light, before disappearing, signifying that they had entered spirit form.

Alfonso let out a long sigh, more relieved than he would have liked to admit. _Dio mio… those two are going to be a handful. But the fact that there are two of them is a very welcome surprise. No doubt that will give me some considerable advantages going forward. Dealing with any future antics shouldn't be too hard, all things considered. Besides, no matter how they look, they're nothing more than tools for me to use as I crush the other Masters and take the Holy Grail. _He chuckled lightly to himself. _I'll stomp them like the bugs they are! Nothing is going to stop me!_

He moved to quickly glance at his watch. Only… his watch wasn't there. He blinked in surprise, before he suddenly heard Anne's laugh ring in his ear. Clenching his fists, he chose to edit his previous thoughts. _Okay, they're still just tools. Tools with an unfortunate penchant for robbing their Master. Brilliant._

* * *

**Paris, France**

**Parc de Belleville**

**March 18, 1999**

**~2:30 PM**

As he sat on one of the park's numerous benches, Tatsuya let out a light sigh. He was exhausted, and the one hour of jet lag certainly didn't help matters. Alex sat next to him, munching on some sort of pastry he had insisted on picking up. The past day and a half had gone by in a flash, or so it seemed. After summoning Saber, he was left alone for a while to get acquainted with his Servant. So far, progress had been slow, to say the least.

Casting his mind back, he recalled the fallout of his first meeting with Saber. He was still not sure how he had even called such a powerful Servant to begin with. From what he understood, Susano-o should qualify as a Divine Spirit, thus rendering him unable to be summoned into a Grail War. So then how had he summoned him? To that end, Saber seemed thoroughly uninterested in acting as Tatsuya's Servant.

"_You may be the Master, and I may be the Servant," _he had said. _"But do not presume to command me, fool. If you try, you will meet my blade. I am more than willing to forgo the grail to teach you your place." _

At the moment, Saber was off scouting the area. Not by Tatsuya's order, of course. Simply because he wanted to. This had put him at a crossroads. He didn't doubt his Servant's power. Saber was probably strong enough to fight against his Command Seals, if he really wanted to. So was he just to accept being unable to control his Servant? If he was, how was he supposed to fight this Grail War properly?

"Hey, are you still brooding about this?"

Tatsuya jumped slightly at Alex's sudden comment. His friend wasn't even looking at him, still just gazing at the park as he nibbled his pastry. Tatsuya sighed in response. He seemed to be sighing a lot more often as of late.

"You mean am I still worried about not being able to control my Servant? Kinda, why?"

"Well to me, this sorta seems like a good thing," Alex replied nonchalantly. "If your Servant is so powerful that it can fight even his own Master's Command Seals, doesn't that make your Servant stronger than any other by default? I mean, how many Servants can actually do that?"

"Alex, I don't think you understand why this is an issue. If I need Saber to do something, I have no way of making him do it. That's going to be a huge detriment to us once the actual fighting begins."

Alex, however, remained unconvinced. "That's true enough. But from where I see it, Saber seems strong enough to blow away the other Servants with one arm behind his back." His friend paused for a moment, frowning slightly. "Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. But still, Tatsu! Your Servant is a literal god! I don't think you need to worry so much. Besides, I'd rather not walk around Paris with you all frowny-like."

"Need I remind you, _again_, that this isn't a vacation?"

"Sure, sure," Alex dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "Then how about this; Saber is probably testing you or something. Not sure why, really, he just seems the type to do that. But he's testing you nonetheless. If you start getting all mopey because he won't listen to you now, then he never will, you get me?"

Tatsuya thought for a moment. Strangely, Alex's words actually made some mediacom of sense, for once. He was about to reply, when he felt a sudden chill run down his spine. Saber had returned.

"I am back, boy," he said, materializing in front of them. 'Boy'. That's what Saber called him, instead of Master, like a traditional Servant would. And just like that, Tatsuya's worries returned in full force.

"I have found a few locations which I believe shall be acceptable for me to keep a lookout on the area. I will remain around them, and watch for other Servants to appear. When they do, I expect you to do your job as we clash. Do you understand your role, boy?"

Tatsuya swallowed a gulp, before nodding quickly, prompting an eye roll from Alex.

"Good. Well then, I am off. I hope you do not forget your place, _boy_." Practically spitting the last word out in spite, Saber turned and vanished, just as suddenly as he had appeared.

Moments after Saber had left, Tatsuya clenched his fists angrily. Despite the talk he and Alex had just had, he still had just sat there and let Saber talk down to him. It was frustrating to no end. If he was going to make it through the War, he would need to figure out how to tighten the leash on his Servant. It was the only way forward.

Just then, he felt another chill on his spine. For a second, he thought that Saber had come back once more, but he hadn't. This chill was… different. Something, somewhere, having to do with this War, was out of place. But what? He had no idea. All he could do was hope it did not end his dreams.

* * *

**Somewhere in Paris**

**March 18, 1999**

**~11:00 PM**

It could not see. Darkness was everything.

It could not hear. Silence was everything.

It groaned, protesting this existence, but it could not change.

It could feel, however. It could feel the magical energy growing in the city. It counted.

One…

Two…

Three…

Four…

Five…

Six…

Where was seven? There should be seven. Seven made sense. But six could also be right, couldn't it? Why not five? Or four? No. No no no no. Seven. There had to be seven.

But where was seven? It felt again, trying to find seven. No answer. For a fleeting moment, it had hope of finding something. Alas, it was just two. No seven. Why was there no seven? Could things continue without seven? No. No no no no. Seven. There had to be seven.

If seven would not show itself, then it would make seven. But how? It could not speak the words to call seven. It could not draw the gate for seven to come through. So how? How how how how?

It felt once more, searching for the answer it needed. Ah, there! There there there there! By two. Some mistake had left the gate open. Was it usable? It didn't know. All it knew was that it needed seven.

It felt the gate, slowly tracing it. And then…

_Pulse…_

_Pulse…_

_Pulse…_

_Pulse…_

It continued to feel, to open. As it pulsed, it felt. As it felt, it pulsed. The gate protested, but still it felt. Eventually, the pulse began to take shape. As if it was a shadow, rising from the ground, it came forth. And a shadow it was.

It slowly stopped pulsing, stopped feeling. It had done its part. There were finally seven. Seven would take it from there. It knew what to do.

As the newly formed shadow took in its surroundings, only one thought came to mind.

_Berserker._

* * *

**Chapter Four: Free Birds and a Shadow**

**Summoned Servants and Masters:**

**Saber: Susano-o, Master: Tatsuya Horibe**

**Archer: Atalana, Master: Hugo Rousell**

**Lancer: Arthur Pendragon, Master: Ophilie de Laval**

**Caster: Tamamo-no Mae, Master: Raijin Takeru**

**Rider: Kiyohime, Master: Emilia Lugnica Yggdemillenia **

**Assassin: Anne Bonny and Mary Read, Master: Alfonso Lugnica De Scaglione**

**Berserker: ?, Master: ?**

**-7 Servants remain in the fight to answer the Grail's call-**

* * *

**A/N: Before I go, I'd like to give a quick thanks to CelestialSkyDragon for also creating Alfonso for this story. He's a delight to have, and there will (hopefully) be many great things for him to come! With that, I say good night! (Or morning, I'm finishing this at 3 AM lol). **

**Finally, if you can, please leave a review with any comments, thoughts, worries, or whatever. It really helps! See ya! **

**-MudkipOfDespair**


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